day 117 : embracing the 'big-ness'

when i first started this project, i was all about it staying small and simple.
holding a door open, smiling at a random toddler at the coop, being really nice to my grandparents.
and obviously, those things are important.
those are things that we should all be doing, each and every day.

but, in the past few weeks, i have wanted more. more from this project. more from myself. more from strangers.

that night that blake and i were walking daphne, the night that the 'be nice box' was born, i was so outrageously inspired. i wanted to stand up and scream and work for a million hours in a row, only eating chocolate bars and popcorn {done and done}. i am thinking about this project ALL THE TIME! ways to connect people. ways to show others how important they are. ways for ME to grow as a human.

i have done a lot of things in my life. i have lived in europe all alone. {i got a tattoo from a guy in spain that didnt speak any english at all}. i have spent time in haiti, only a few months after the country was destroyed by a natural disaster. i have fallen in love. and then totally had my heart broken. i said goodbye to my grandpa & felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. i have had jobs that have been hard. jobs that i didnt love at all. moved across the country with $300 and a 2-door car full of my life.

my point is : i want to be a person that does big things. a person who jumps off the cliff when others are saying 'wow, that looks dangerous.*' i want to be a person that takes huge chances and continues to be inspired by people i have never even met.
i am totally convinced that a small group of humans can change the world.

today i was at the store {buying chocolate popcorn} and i got really overwhelmed. i feel so lucky. to live where i do. to meet so many amazing people. to have the opportunity to brighten the days of people i might never see again. to be able to listen to YOUR stories of changing the world.

in the beginning, this was just a project about doing one nice thing a day, but over the past 5 months, i realize that it has really become a part of my life. i am noticing that i am constantly seeking out situations where i can smile at a stranger or hold the door or send a handwritten note to a friend. and while i feel awesome doing good deeds for others, i am also realizing that being more aware of others feelings, emotions and situations has made me more compassionate.

so the good deed in all of this? realizing that all of us {YOU} really do have the ability to make the world better. its not about money. its not about who you know. its not about who you think you are.
the idea that we can change the world is totally life-changing in itself!

*just a note : i wouldnt ever jump off a cliff in real life. i dont like water and jumping to my death has always been a fear of mine. but, you know what i mean ;)