Spreading joy at Vancouver Police Department

Yesterday, Vancouver Police were visited by a joyful group of elementary school kids who showered Happy Packets on the West Precinct.  Heart-covered bags for every employee of the Vancouver Police Department–caringly stuffed with personalized notes of appreciation, a Hersey’s chocolate kiss, a Bit-O-Honey and a Love Your Life card from The Joy Team–were handed out, left on desks or put in mail slots.

The personalized notes were written by members of The Junior Joy Team and close to 300 elementary school children from Hough Elementary in downtown Vancouver. Hough is partnering with us to boost our efforts of spreading joy, optimism and inspiration to millions.

Can letters and drawings from kids bring smiles to people who deal with trauma and crisis on a daily basis? We’ve been told they can! Here are a few comments we’ve already received:

Thank you so much for the card from Linessa and the other kids. You all made our day when we got into work tonight. Tell the kids that the reason were out here is for them. God Bless all of you. -D.

Thank you for the great picture, the letter, and the candy. I really appreciated it! I have the picture up in my office. -D.

I work for the Police Department and missed your visit yesterday. However, I did get the gift bag with the pretty picture drawn by Ellie. Please tell her that I loved the picture and really appreciate that she took the time to make it for me. Keep up the good work! -A.

I have to tell you, it was completely our pleasure!

Want to see some of the photos from the day?  Here’s the Facebook album.

The Junior Joy Team spread joy to all 260 employees of City Hall in February and created a video about the power of positive words in March.  What will we do next? Stay tuned…

One of the heart-warming drawings from a Hough Elementary student

We’re going to Hough Elementary (go Hough Hawks!) today for our very first JOY Assembly, and we are super excited!

Nearly 300 students will learn why joy matters, hear from The Junior Joy Team members who go to school there, and learn more about the second recipients of our Happy Packets: The Vancouver Police Department.  Officer Tina Smith will talk to the kids just before they go back to there classrooms where each student will write a personalized note of appreciation to every person working for the Vancouver Police Department.

Wow. Just think about it.  300 kids, all practicing gratitude, performing an act of kindness, and spreading joy–all at the same time. That’s a lot of concentrated positive energy, and we are so thankful to be part of it.

On May 2nd, after The Junior Joy Team has caringly stuffed these personalized notes into our Happy Packets, we’ll get to deliver them to the Vancouver Police Department. The kids will meet the Chiefs of Police and even get a little tour while spreading their joy around. How awesome is that?

We’re spreading joy, optimism and inspiration to millions.  Wanna help?  You can donate any amount to help us with our joy spreading programs, or inquire about how to make in-kind donations. We need candy for our Happy Packets, Love Your Life cards (printing donation) and other goodies we can use to spread joy around.

from TED.com

The following video clip of Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think, Inc., on TED.com is a must see. Shawn talks about the Happiness Advantage and backs it up with scientific research.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from this clip:

What we’re finding is it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.

If you can raise somebody’s level of positivity in the present then their brain experiences what we now call a Happiness Advantage; which is your brain at positive performs significantly better than it does at negative or neutral or stressed. Your intelligence rises, your creativity rises, your energy level rises.

Awesome stuff. Plus, he tells us a few ways to get to positive:

• write 3 new things you’re grateful for each day
• journal about a happy or positive experience (ie: re-live it)
• exercise
• meditate
• perform acts of kindness

Watch this.  Then watch it again.  Really.

The Junior Joy Team believes Words Matter

The first full week of March is Words Matter Week, a perfect time to reflect on the power of words and be mindful about how we use them.

Here at The Joy Team, we’re all about words. More specifically, we’re all about the power of positive words.  So, to celebrate Words Matter Week we’ve made a little video with The Junior Joy Team.  The kids talk about their favorite words and why words matter. A big THANK YOU to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library for letting us film this in the Main Library in downtown Vancouver; which has been voted one of the Top 10 Children’s Libraries in the U.S.!

Do words matter to you?  Share this video and spread the word.

Welcome Share the Love! And thank you for promoting love!

Do you work to bring more joy, kindness or love into the world? Submit a listing here.

Happy at school

There’s a great article in The Nation by Susan Engel called “Putting Kids’ Happiness on Our Educational Radar“.  Here’s a little excerpt:

…research shows that if we were to emphasize happiness in school, we might ensure a happier adult population. While some people are temperamentally more optimistic than others, children can acquire new ways of thinking and spending their time that increase their general sense of wellbeing in the long run. …

How might our schools cultivate happiness? Psychologists agree that the route to happiness lies not in lollypops and television but instead thrives when children have a strong sense of connection to others, opportunities to create things (ideas, art, machines, for instance), some sense of choice in what they do and whom they do it with, and a feeling that what they spend their time on has some purpose and meaning.

Sounds like a good investment to me.

In Council Chambers with Mayor Leavitt

The very first Junior Joy Team project went so well that the heart of the city was swelling with joy.  The kids had so much fun sharing smiles that Junior Joy Team member, Carter Jacob asked before walking out the door of City Hall, “Can we do this again tomorrow?”

And as for the folks at City Hall, did it make a difference for them?  Here’s what a few of them share with us:

Happy – A Documentary Trailer from Wadi Rum Films on Vimeo.

Today’s World Happy Day! And there’s a documentary out exploring the ultimate question: What makes us happy?

The film takes us from the bayous of Louisiana to the deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the villages of Okinawa, HAPPY explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.

There are screenings today across the globe. Find one near you.

Geoffrey James, award-winning journalist and author of Inc.com’s Sales Source column, put out a list of “10 Questions That Create Success“. They’re fabulous. My favorites are:

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?

2. Have I done something today that improved the world?

8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?

10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?

I’d like to add one more:

11. Have I treated myself with love and kindness?

I do believe living each day–each moment–with these questions in mind will lead to a more joyful, meaningful life. What do you think?

One of the cards to be given out on February 13

The Junior Joy Team will be planting our first seeds of joy in the heart of our hometown: Vancouver USA’s City Hall. We picked February 13th, the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week, to do our very first Junior Joy Team project. The inaugural group of 10 Junior Joy Team kids, ranging in age from 6 to 11, will deliver little packets of happiness to all 260 city employees working in City Hall. Starting with Mayor Tim Leavitt and City Manager Eric Holmes.

The packets, hand-packed by the kids in heart-covered bags, include cards with positive messages and drawings from the children (like the one pictured above), a Bit-O-Honey, a chocolate kiss, and a “LOVE your life” card from The Joy Team. Before scattering joy on the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week, the kids will learn about each city department housed at City Hall and how the work of those employees improves our lives.

We think it’s a great way to start this young group of joy spreaders. And we think it’s an exceptionally great way to start Random Acts of Kindness Week.

What are your plans for February 13 – 19?