Flowers are expected on birthdays and anniversaries. But what if you surprised someone with flowers (or treated yourself) just because?
Challenge: buy flowers
Why? Research shows that acts of kindness aren’t just a treat for the recipient. The person committing the good deed gets a boost in life satisfaction too. What better way to get happy than buying someone flowers?
Our ladies react:
Lauren: It’s a soggy, rainy South Florida evening, and I walk in the door from work with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
“Ohhh… Mommy! Are those for me?” my 5-year-old son asks.
“They are for the whole family,” I reply.
“Well, they are so beautiful. You should get flowers every day.”
And he has a point. Sometimes the smallest thing — the tiniest change in routine — can immediately improve your mood. Walking in with a handful of flowers for no reason did just that for my family tonight. A great reminder to switch things up every now and then.
Patrice: My challenge this week was to buy flowers. It was perfect since my niece’s birthday was Tuesday. I’ve been sending flowers to her at school every year on her birthday since she turned 13. This year, she is 17. When I was in high school, I thought it was so special when students got balloons and flowers on their birthdays. A loved one wanted to surprise them with a gift, and everyone yelled “Happy Birthday” all day long. I imagined it was a day filled with love. I want my niece to feel special and loved on her birthday, since I can’t see her. Here’s the pic she sent me.
Deborah: I’ve always loved beautiful flowers growing in a garden. I’ve never really been a fan of cut flowers, unless they came from my own garden. I just feel like it’s a waste of money and of a flower because as soon as you cut it, it begins to die. My family once planted me an entire English garden for Mother’s Day. It was the best gift I ever received. I tried to buy myself flowers this weekend and instead, I bought myself a peony plant to grow in my yard to enjoy for many years rather than one single occasion.
Our Everyday Inspiration series wants to inspire you with small ways to improve your life. We’ve asked 20 women to take on a variety of small challenges and share their results. See all of our Everyday Inspiration challenges here, and meet the women here.
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