Give them a gift they least expect.

Have you ever faced the dilemma of what to get your spouse for their birthday?

Have you ever wondered how to reach out to a friend you haven’t been in touch for a long time?

Have you ever faced the conundrum of encouraging someone who is going through a tough time?

Have you been feeling particularly romantic today but don’t know how to let you’re beloved know without feeling embarrassed?

Send them a love note.

Writing letters is considered old-fashioned. We have become so reliant on technology that we hardly think of writing a letter to someone when we can send them a text.

But letters are so powerful. Today, perhaps more than at any other time in history, letters make a significant impact.

There is nothing like receiving a personal, heartfelt letter from someone.

Letters are unexpected and beautiful. It might take you less than ten minutes to write, but a letter can, quite literally, change someone’s day, week, month… or life.

Here is a challenge for you, write seven letters in seven days.

The idea came to me in a newsletter, in the form of a booklet, One Letter Today, by Alexandra Franzen.

She suggested seven types of letters for seven days of the week.

1. A love letter
2. A fan letter
3. A letter to re-connect with a friend
4. A thank you letter
5. A letter delivering an apology
6. A letter containing your heartfelt advice
7. A letter to your “future self.”

You can write all 7 letters in a single day or write one letter per day for the next 7 days.

Alternatively, you can write for the next 30 days…90 days… 365 days and watch how your relationships change for good.

You can play music or write in silence. You can light a candle or sip some wine. Or both. Or not.

Create whatever type of experience you need to write.

If a particular topic or type of letter doesn’t resonate with you, skip it! Write a different type of letter instead.

Write a love letter.

It will only take you a few minutes to write a love letter.

You can write it on a beautiful piece of stationery or on a small piece of card. You can scrawl on a Post-It Note or scribble one on a notepad.

When you’re done, you can tuck it into a coat pocket or swirled it into a tiny scroll drop it onto a colleague’s desk. You put your child’s lunch box or slip it into a mailbox.

The length, format, and delivery method do not matter.

You can write a few paragraphs or a line or just three words: “I love you.”

Done.

Write a fan letter.

Choose someone whose work you love and respect. A writer, an actor, a musician, a producer, a local barista, a co-worker — doesn’t matter. Write them a fan letter.

Publish it on Medium if you like and send them a link.

Or mail them the old-fashioned way if you can find their mailing address.

What matters is you writing from the heart, saying what you need to say, and creating a positive imprint in another person’s day.

Reconnect with a friend

You have a long-time estranged friend whom you want to connect with again. Send them a letter.

Or perhaps you’d like to deepen a relationship with a new friend. Write to them.

Or maybe you should honor a treasured friend by sending a letter.

You might have hundreds of friends on social media, but none of them will come to your aid if you were in real trouble. If you want people to enhance your life, you need to connect them in a meaningful way.

A pure heartfelt note can do that.

Write a letter to say “thank you.”

Your team at work did a great job. How about thanking them with a “thank you” letter?

A friend went out of the way to help you; there is no better way to thank her than sending her a handwritten note.

Or, perhaps you’d like to say “thank you” to your soulmate, your kids, your mom or dad, or to someone who feels like a parent to you.

Write a sincere, heartfelt apology.

Have you let someone down, left someone hanging, or flaked out on, shamed, harmed, or wronged then. Write a sincere, heartfelt apology note.

Perhaps you’d like to write an apology to a family member or friend that you haven’t paid much attention to lately.

Or perhaps you’d like to apologize to a client or colleague who hasn’t been receiving your “best work” this past month.

Or maybe you want to write an apology to yourself. For speaking cruelly to yourself, like an enemy, not a friend. Or for neglecting your physical health instead of treating your body with respect.

If you need a little more guidance and inspiration, here’s an interesting website to explore.

Write a letter containing a few words of advice.

Somewhere, out there, is a human being who desperately needs your advice.

Not because you are “perfect” or “have all the answers.” Nobody does simply because you has walked the difficult path that this person is currently walking.

You’ve been there. You’ve done that. You’ve learned a few things, and you can offer a few words of guidance or reassurance as someone who is a few steps farther along.

In Japanese, the word “sensei” does not mean “expert” or “master.” It means “one who has gone before.” For someone? You are a sensei. Perhaps you’d like to give some advice to a child, a younger sibling or a family member.

Or perhaps you’d like to share your advice online in the form of a “public letter” to your blog readers or social media friends.

Maybe you have some advice to give to a friend in need. Or a colleague. Or a client. Or even to yourself. We often forget to take our own advice!

Write a letter to your “future self.”

Why not…

Write a letter to yourself one month, one year, or several years in the future. Express your hopes and dreams.

Give yourself a few important reminders. Nudge yourself to do better. Offer a few words of encouragement. Make predictions.

Or just say: “I love you.” You can give your handwritten letter to a friend and ask them to mail it back to you later.

You can bury it in a time capsule and dig it up in a year.

Or email it to yourself — in the future! — using FutureMe.org. Your FutureMe letter will be delivered to your inbox on the future date that you determine. It can be public or totally private. So cool!

So what letter are you going to write today?

Credit: This article is impaired by a tiny but amazingly inspiring booklet, One Letter Today, by Alexandra Franzen.

Need more inspiration, download it.

Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash