Less than a month after the lockdown started in 2020, I finally decided to begin. For literally years I had been considering what and how to get started. I created numerous websites before. None of them ever accomplishing everything that was happening in my head, unable to meet the needs of the idea. This time however it wasn't a website.
It was the first time in living memory where so many people were afraid to go outside, not to mention being encouraged to stay in. We as people hadn't spent so much time away from the world as what had happened during those first few weeks of the lockdown. I had an idea just to reach out to people to give them a little insight into shifting their mindset that things will be ok. Instead of focusing on being locked inside and being afraid of the world, to find things to do.
I had spent plenty of time alone in my life and was able to come up with a few things to encourage people to do to keep a little more engaged. It was decided that in order to get the ideas out to people, they would be put onto a business card. The intention was not one of solicitation so I put no contact information on it what so ever, they were intended merely to be there as support. They had the organizations logo at the time (pictured in the headline), the name of the organization "Abundant Aid", our motto "For the betterment of humanity", and what came down to as 3 bullet points of ideas for recipients to involve themselves with.
The exact verbiage of the 3 points are lost at the moment, as I am unable to locate a copy of the original but they resembled:
- If you're bored, learn something
- If you're lonely, call a friend
- If you're antsy, work out at home
After printing 250 of these cards at a local office supply store, I started putting them on peoples cars. An easy and less intrusive way to spread the word. Not the most effective for feedback as there was not a mechanism for it, though the purpose was to offer opportunity and potential.
It felt really good finally starting something that I had been working on and toying with for years, and at the time of writing this blog, is still only a small part of what has happened.