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Not long ago, I was in my hometown for a board retreat. I walked out to my car early one morning and spotted something tucked in the driver’s side window frame. It was a small card. A dragonfly on the front. Words printed on the back:
Dragonfly Magic
I embrace my transformation.
I courageously let go of the past.
The magic of nature is in me.
I am brilliant and I am blessed.
There was no note. No signature. I hadn’t told many people I was in town. No one knew what hotel I was staying at. It felt like a random act. But it hit like a direct message.
I sat in the car and read it again. And again. That little card didn't fix anything in my life. But it shifted something. For a few minutes, my racing mind slowed. I stopped spiraling about the cost of everything. About the people I love and can’t always protect. About the news, the fear, the endless division.
That moment pulled me out of my head and into something else. Not quite peace. But a pause. A breath. A flicker of connection to the bigger, quieter truth underneath all the noise.
And it got me thinking: how rare is that feeling these days?
How often do we get out of our own heads? How often do we notice the people around us? How often do we reach out, with no expectation, just to make someone else’s load a little lighter?
The answer is: not often enough. And that might be the problem.
We Are Drowning in Ourselves
Right now, it’s easy to be consumed with me.
My job. My bills. My family. My health. My anxiety. My survival.
Everything around us feeds that focus. The economy feels punishing. The political climate feels unbearable. We’re scared about the future. We’re tense. We’re isolated. We’re in fight-or-flight mode most of the time, and it shows.
But in all that self-protection, we’re losing something bigger. We’re losing our humanity.
We’re forgetting that we are part of something. That we are responsible not just for ourselves, but for each other. And that no elected official, no billionaire, no superhero is coming to fix that for us.
But we could fix it. We could begin, at least. With one small shift.
Kindness Isn’t Fluffy. It’s Powerful.
That little dragonfly card reminded me how big a small act can be. It interrupted my spiral. It redirected my energy.
Science backs this up. Kindness changes us. It lights up areas of the brain linked to connection and joy. It floods the body with oxytocin and dopamine. It reduces stress. It lowers blood pressure. It helps us sleep better. It boosts immunity. It even helps us live longer (source).
And here’s the kicker: the effect isn’t just in the person receiving the kindness. It hits the person giving it too. And anyone who sees it. Kindness ripples.
A recent study showed that people who performed three small kind acts a week, helping a neighbor, writing a thank-you note, picking up trash—reported higher happiness and lower anxiety within weeks (source).
Kindness is an energy. And energy multiplies.
We Need That Energy Right Now
Because something else is spreading too: fear. Anger. Blame. The belief that we’re all on our own and it’s everyone for themselves. That mindset is tearing us apart.
We’ve been taught to "other" people. To assume bad intent. To protect ourselves at all costs. But protecting ourselves doesn’t have to mean walling ourselves off.
In fact, it’s killing us. Emotionally. Culturally. And literally. Loneliness is now considered a public health crisis. Division is at an all-time high. We don’t just disagree with people—we dehumanize them.
And look where it’s gotten us.
Here’s the Wild Part: We Can Flip the Script
We don’t need massive plans or viral movements to start healing the mess. We just need more tiny moments. One note. One compliment. One act that says, I see you. I care. You matter.
Every time we reach outside of ourselves, we:
Kindness isn’t about being soft. It’s about being strong enough to act when no one asked you to. To help when there’s nothing in it for you. To reconnect with your own humanity so that maybe, just maybe, the rest of us remember ours too.
Try It. See What Happens.
Here’s what I’m asking. Just once this week, do something unexpectedly kind for someone else.
Watch how it feels. Let it change your mood. Let it shape your day. Let it ripple out.
Because the truth is this: no one is coming to save us. But if we start saving each other—in small ways, every day—then maybe we don’t need saving after all.
You don’t expect a WNBA team and a Grammy-winning indie musician/band to change the world together. But that’s exactly what the Minnesota Lynx and Bon Iver are doing.They’ve launched a powerful, multi-year partnership aimed at ending gender inequity, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. It’s not just charity. It’s action. They’re giving $250,000 to organizations like Girls Taking Action, Women’s Foundation MN, and She Rock. They’re hosting community clinics, summits, and grant programs designed to support and uplift women and girls across Minnesota.It’s bold. It’s collaborative. And it’s exactly the kind of intentional kindness we need more of. This isn’t about optics. It’s about impact. When people in positions of influence use their platforms to amplify care and equity, they remind us that business, art, and justice are not separate.They didn’t wait for someone else to fix it. They just started doing the work. That’s the energy.
This story echoes what I shared in the main piece: kindness is not soft. It’s not extra. It’s essential.When we show up for each other, whether through art, activism, funding, mentorship, or a simple act of care, we shift something. In ourselves. In our communities. In the world.We don’t need saviors. We need more people like these. People who say: If not me, then who?So take the energy from that dragonfly card. Let it move you. Then go do something small. Something kind. Something that ripples.
Quick update: I’ve been thriving and failing in equal measure.I declared this my “Summer of Nope.” No hustle. No forcing. No fake energy. Just shorts, t-shirts, and vibes.Here’s how it’s going:I missed the same meeting twice. (Yes. Twice.)My sleep schedule is an unsolvable math problem.My inbox is a haunted house.I’ve eaten meals at hours that confuse the sun.And yet, I regret none of it.I’ve been resting hard, but also thinking. Dreaming. Getting clear. Big ideas are bubbling. Plans are forming. My brain is stretching back into build mode.So yeah, I’ve been a hot mess. But I’ve also been exactly where I needed to be. The “nope” is working.More soon. Promise.
"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For indeed, that's all who ever have."
- Margaret Mead
