“Don’t look for happiness.  Create it.”

Dear Universe,

It’s no secret that I am a fan of anything inspirational.

Whether it’s a sign, a t-shirt, a message delivered at the right time or just the sound of the ocean, I am always grateful when inspiration makes its way to me.

That’s why I was so intrigued when months ago, I received an email from a stranger asking if he could make me a bracelet engraved with any message I wanted on it.

He introduced himself and it turned out Christian had discovered some of my writing and thought I would be a fan of the work he’s doing to spread a little inspiration and love to the world.

He was right!

As I clicked on his website, I instantly loved his creations.

Christian handcrafts bracelets that are called Loveropes.  He wants you to choose what you love, find a message that represents that, and he’ll customize the bracelet for you.  His hope is that wearing the bracelet will make you remember what matters most and at the same time, spread some love to the world.

I couldn’t believe he would be so generous to offer to send me a complementary bracelet!  Of course I would love to have a Loverope!

But for whatever reason, I didn’t respond.  Life was busy.  Life was hectic.  Months went by.

And still I thought of the email and the Loverope.  I was a bit mad at myself.  If I couldn’t make time for a little love in my life, what was I doing?

How many times do we push aside something we are excited about and don’t make the time for it?

Once I had that realization I stopped what I was doing to send Christian an email.  I asked if his offer was still on the table.  If he said yes, I knew immediately what the message would be.

“I choose love.”

Those words have become a mantra of sorts over the past year (a story for another time!)

Christian wrote back right away and said he was more than happy to send me my bracelet.  I was so excited!  I couldn’t decide on the color so he said he would surprise me.  I liked the idea of waiting to see what he would pick.

Last week my package came in the mail.  I opened it to find that Christian had sent me not one, but two Loveropes!  They are perfect.  The second one had a message handpicked by him: “Love Prevails.”

I was moved by the way he packaged the bracelets with loving messages and a note for me. And I can tell they were made with the best of intentions. Every time I look at the bracelets, I can feel his positive energy—coming all the way from Germany.

Just a few nights ago I saw on Instagram that Christian was mentioned in a Huffington Post piece about eleven millennials who are making a difference.  I was so glad to see him getting some much deserved recognition!

Something he says in the interview really stood out to me:

“I did not create Loverope as a jewelry company, but instead as a movement about love and the individual story deep inside of every one of us.”

A movement about love?

I love it.

It’s such a beautiful reminder that a dream starts with a spark and it’s up to you to ignite it.  It doesn’t matter how big or how small the dream is.  If it’s your passion, if it stirs your soul, you must pursue it.

You must give your dream the attention and work it deserves. (Tweet that!)

He also ends the interview with this beautiful line: “Whatever you’re searching for is out there.  Just keep on going, you’re on the right path you wonderful soul.”

I’m grateful for the work Christian is doing to spread some love and kindness in the world.  I’m grateful for all of us who try to be positive, look for the light and share it with others—even when some might not understand.

It’s the most important work we can do.

So, you wonderful souls, if you had just a few lines to make your message, what would it be?

With Gratitude,

A