When the weather is pleasant, my family and I sometimes take morning walks for some fresh air and sunshine. On one such occasion, on our way back home, the girls spotted something colorful hiding under some bushes.
“What is that?” I asked, joining them.
They pointed at the bush. I was surprised by what I saw. There were at least a dozen painted rocks of different shapes, sizes, and colors. What they had in common, though, was each had an inspirational word or phrase written on them: Love, Peace, Empathy, Be Kind, Gratitude, and so on.
It was so simple and yet so profound. We stood there for a few minutes gazing at the rocks that other people had left over time, hoping to inspire the walkers and runners to come on this trail after them.
“Can we make our own rocks too?” asked Pumpkin.
“Of course,” I answered. We found some rocks as we neared our neighborhood, and got to work on our own Positivity Rocks.
DIY Positivity Rocks
MATERIALS
- 1 small rock per person
- acrylic paint
- markers
- decorations such as glitter, etc (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- While spending time outdoors, find a rock that looks and feels special to you. There is no specific criteria, other than one side of the rock should be smooth enough to write on.
- Decide what Positive Word you would like to share on your rock.
- Paint the rock. Be creative and have fun!
- Wait several minutes for the paint to dry. Once it dries, use a marker to carefully write your Positive Word.
- If you wish, you can even add glitter or other small embellishments. This is totally optional–make it an expression of you!
- If there is a pile of rocks already on your walking route or nearby trail, you can keep it there for others to get inspired by. Or you can choose a new spot and inspire others to join your new collection!
With everything going on today, looking after our mental wellness is more important than ever. These messages are a small reminder that there is always goodness in the world, no matter how difficult things get. And where there is goodness, there is hope.
burgeon & bloom | grow your best self 