What if you could change the world with one positive message?
It’s commonly said that the way you change the world is one person at a time. What if you could do it one positive message at a time? The Joy Team launched an outdoor ad campaign for happiness in April 2010 and, with the support of local businesses, we’ve been putting up inspiring and optimistic messages ever since. On January 5th at 9:00 AM, the 100th positive message goes up on a billboard in Portland, Oregon. We’re pretty excited about that.
Fun? Yes. Whimsical? Absolutely. And more than that, these messages are making a difference. Portlander Jill Brown passes one that says “Anything is possible. Anything.” as she drives her preschooler with special needs to intensive therapy a few times every week. She says, “It is at the best spot. A few blocks from an intensive pediatric therapy place that works with children with CP and Traumatic Brain Injury and other brain injuries. It always makes me smile every time and reminds me Anything is possible! Anything!”
The 100th message: “Best. Day. Ever. And it’s yours.” is sponsored by Heather Strang. “As a Portland business owner I feel so proud to live in a city that honors each individual’s ability to help shift a corner of their world through positive messaging,” said Heather. “I believe each of us has the power to change the world with our positive focus. It doesn’t have to take much. It can be a simple sticky note with “You’re special, the world needs you” written on it and left in the ladies room. Or a billboard that is accessible to thousands of people through the incredible non-profit The Joy Team. Every person has the power to change the world with a positive message and it is my hope that what we are doing with The Joy Team will empower more people to put their focus on changing the world for the better. Join us!”
We’re dedicated to uplifting lives by spreading joy, optimism and inspiration. And we want to do that in a substantial and continual way, so starting in October of 2013, we began maintaining a billboard a month to make the inspiration a constant force in the community.
We’re celebrating, and we want YOU to join us!
Everyone is invited to join The Joy Team and Heather Strang as we celebrate the milestone of putting up 100 positive messages in our community. Come watch as Clear Channel Outdoor hangs the billboard at 9:00 AM on Monday, January 5th at the corner of NE Weidler Street and 1st Avenue in Portland.
Why billboards?
- An average poster billboard in the Portland area is seen 78, 960 times weekly. It reaches 30,949 unique viewers and each person, on average, sees it 2.5 times in a week.
- Billboard advertising works. You can’t turn it off, fast forward it or mute it. If you drive by it, you see it. Most people can’t help reading something they see, it’s automatic. Want to share a happy thought? A billboard is an excellent way to do it.
Positive messages influence our thoughts. Our thoughts affect our beliefs, the words we speak and the actions we take; which shape the circumstances and events of our lives. Happier, more optimistic thoughts lead to happier, more optimistic people. Why does happiness matter? Not only does research show the health benefits are huge; but it also shows happiness leads to success in nearly every domain of our lives; including marriage, friendship, community involvement, creativity and, in particular, our jobs, careers and businesses.
Founded in February 2010, The Joy Team is a 501c3 corporation based in Vancouver, Washington, with the mission of building community by spreading joy, optimism and inspiration. Projects of the positive thought organization include putting up 100 positive messages (and counting), delivering over 2,000 Happy Packets to the staff of organizations serving the community through The Junior Joy Team, giving over 4,000 jars of joy-wrapped peanut butter to hungry kids through the PB & JOY Project and the annual Chalk the Walks event. Learn more at thejoyteam.org, like them on Facebook.com/TheJoyTeam or follow them on Twitter @TheJoyTeam.
About Heather Strang
Native Oregonian, Heather Strang is an author, regular contributor for The Huffington Post, Master Success Coach, and Certified BodyTalk Practitioner. Her books include “The Quest: A Tale of Desire & Magic” (currently being optioned as a feature-length film), “Following Bliss,” and “Anatomy of the Heart: Love Poems.” Heather has been a featured speaker at the largest spiritual bookstore in North America—Banyen Books and Sound—as well as the largest metaphysical bookstore in the United States—New Renaissance Bookshop. Learn more at: www.HeatherStrang.com.
