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my books
  • I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
    I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
    by Brené Brown
  • The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
    The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
    by Brene Brown

    Now available for pre-order!

curriculum now available!

on my nightstand
  • Gaia Girls Enter the Earth
    Gaia Girls Enter the Earth
    by Lee Welles

    Our April mother-daughter book club read!

  • Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
    Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
    by Seth Godin

    Interesting.

sing & dance
  • Hopelessly Incapable of Standing in the Way
    Hopelessly Incapable of Standing in the Way
    by Spain Colored Orange

    I'm totally addicted to this Houston band. I recently met Eric, the incredibly talented trumpet player - very cool guy. The sound is new and old and just awesome. I love this entire album. "Maybe It's True" is haunting to me.

  • Sneaky Like a Villain
    Sneaky Like a Villain
    by Spain Colored Orange

    "Who am I?" is my favorite. Wow!

  • Kate Earl
    Kate Earl
    by Kate Earl

    Melody is such an incredible song. Thanks to Krista for sharing this treasure!

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Blog Design Eclectic Whimsy
Illustration Nicholas Wilton
Css Design Krystyn Heide
Cool Signpost David Robinson
Sky paper Weeds & Wildflowers
Background paper Sande Krieger  

« sweet nudges | Main | smiling my way into the weekend »
Monday
10Mar2008

have hope, then spread it around

hopenote.jpg

 

When I first came to SquareSpace, I stumbled across Krystyn Heide's blog (although I'm sure it wasn't an accident). I loved it. One day I read about her leaving hopeful messages for strangers in New York. I was inspired. Within a few weeks, her idea took on a life of its own - as inspiring ideas often do. Today, I find myself fully engaged in her revolution - hopeREVO - a revolution of hope. I can't think of a better cause than spreading hope.

 
Ellen and I had our first mother-daughter book club meeting on Saturday. It was so fun! We all read The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In the book, Sara, the main character, finds herself poor, hungry and struggling against hopelessness. Ultimately, it is acts of kindness between strangers that changes her outlook. 

To celebrate the power of hope, all of the girls made their own hope notes to scatter anonymously around Houston. We asked them to write a note that reflected what they might like to hear from someone if they felt sad or hopeless. We were so moved and impressed by their insight and generosity.Check out our little hopeREVOhouston video (it helps to let it load so hit play then pause, wait a minute, then hit play again).

Ellen and I have started leaving our notes in random places and it feels great. I guess you'll never know what, if any, effect the notes have on people, but I know that putting hope out in the world matters. Thanks to Krystyn for starting the revolution and to Alex and Robin for including us in the book club! I'll get pics up to the hopeREVO flickr site this week!

  

References (1)

References allow you to track sources for this article, as well as articles that were written in response to this article.
  • Response
    Response: New soul
    One of my new favorite people, Brené Brown, sent me this heart-tugging story and video about her experience creating hope notes with her mother-daughter book club, influenced by Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Little Princess and set to Yael Naim's New Soul.

Reader Comments (22)

I am going to talk to my teaching team about doing this with our class. BEAUTIFUL.
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterAllison
I am... speechless. Just, wow. Thank you so much for sharing this!
03.11.2008 | Unregistered Commenterkrystyn
I'm definitely stealing this idea to use with my clients. Stealing hope - that's OK right? Thanks Brene!
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterDebbie O
This is amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful experience here...my day is off to a positively hope*full beginning ;-)
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterKirsten Michelle
brene! this is AWESOME! i posted your video on my site and am (hopefully) sending people your way for a serious dose of inspiration and love. my nine year old has been going through a tough time lately and a hope note party might be just the thing to pull her through. xo
03.11.2008 | Unregistered Commenterjen lemen
Brene - just love this so much. If can figure out how - do you mind if I post it on my blog?

I just realized you are a Diva! Do we have a lot in common or what?

Small world, Big City.

xoxo Bonnie
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterOptimist
Loved the notes and the video. What a great song to put it to. I just got an e-mail from a friend who says that everytime he hears that song, he thinks of my boys. I thought that was really nice. I especially loved the note that had "peace out" on it!
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterDawn
Found you through Jen Lemen and I'm so glad. I'll be back to read more.
03.11.2008 | Unregistered Commenterdeb
I love this! What a beautiful idea. I am already brainstorming some hopeful messages to put around Houston. I also wanted to share a hopeful song (Song of Hope by the Robby Seay Band) – the song will start playing when you link to this URL (http://www.robbieseayband.com/default-new.aspx?source=splash).
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterSaba
What a beautiful idea! I'll have to spread that idea throughout Chicago.

The Little Princess was one of my absolute favorites. The night she comes to her room, and it is transformed...oooh, I still get goosebumps!
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterAngela WD
does it not just make you feel like being in kindergarden again? I posted mine last week in and around the school where i teach...it was great. Felt like hiding 'presents'...and what a great idea to get mothers and daughters to do this together!

Fabulous! Fabulous! Fabulous! xx
03.11.2008 | Unregistered Commenterlinnie
I've been lurking around the corners of this hope idea for the past couple of weeks but it seems it's time. Tomorrow my daughter is out of school and there's a new coffee shop I've been meaning to try - what a perfect excuse to sit together and write notes of hope and love. Thanks for the nudge!
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterShalet
I want to come to the next note party!! That is awesome! I love their notes...the sweet handwriting. Love it, love it, love it! I think I may need to make some notes too.
03.11.2008 | Unregistered CommenterFarrah
What a wonderful idea. They did such an awesome job on the cards. Mine turned 9 yesterday - and that sounds like such a great idea it might be worthy of a party just to write the notes. New York, Houston, Chicago, Dallas.... the hope just keeps spreading!

03.12.2008 | Unregistered CommenterRenae C
Hey Brene, that was so nice to go to bed on- I sent it to a few friends as well. Thanks for sharing that. jen m
03.16.2008 | Unregistered CommenterJen M
what an inspiration! thank you for sharing this. the girls are beautiful and full of magic!
i hope to see these added to the Shutter Sisters flickr pool too once you get them up. : )
03.19.2008 | Unregistered Commentertracey
i love this idea! i am going to round up some friends and do it around sussex!
03.24.2008 | Unregistered Commenterangharad
On this last day of Women's History Month, take a few minutes to contemplate on the history of the beginning of women's rights, of the suffrage movement, and the endurance of those courageous women of the 1800s and early 1900s. You might want to read "Return to Dos Encinos".

charlesclarknovels

www.charlesclarknovels.com
That's a wonderful video. I love all the notes you all made.
03.31.2008 | Unregistered CommenterBrian
beautiful! thanks for sharing =)
04.2.2008 | Unregistered Commenterhelene
Brene, Thank-you for the moving illustrations of the Hope Revolution in action! Both the magical card making party and the touching story of Jen and Odette (to Rwanda with love, hope and Girl power post) are truly inspirational. I'm hoping to get my daughter's Girl Scout troop involved in spreading Hope Notes here in Seattle and making notes for Jen's trip to Africa. Amazing!!!
04.9.2008 | Unregistered Commenterkay
What a beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Your movie touched my heart. Thank You!
08.30.2008 | Unregistered CommenterNicole

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