I had an unexpected surprise in an Amsterdam bathroom. While waiting for a table in a small, popular pancake restaurant in the trendy Jordaan section of Amsterdam, I visited their bathroom.
Filling every square inch of wall space above the toilet, were bright red, orange, aqua and lime green messages affirming the restaurant for their extraordinary pancakes. Can you imagine positive bathroom graffiti? I’d never seen it before! The owners of the restaurant had cleverly placed a cube of brightly colored Post-it-sized notes, a pen and some tacks on the ledge above the toilet for patrons to spread the good word—and that they did! Every single note (no exaggeration) was positive!
I left the bathroom with my spirits uplifted. I noticed that expressed positive feelings about the food attracted more of the same. The TED Talk slogan, “Now that’s an idea worth spreading,” flooded my mind. Verbal affirmations are powerful, but the written word is even more so. Each time we reread it we bathe our thoughts and feelings in its positivity. I imagined the impact of genuinely written positive messages in many different settings.
What If…
Schools had a positive graffiti bulletin board where kids could post brightly colored Post-it notes about their peers’ acts of kindness or positive role-modeling.
School bathrooms were decorated with student-made positive affirmations.
Hospital rooms had a bulletin board (within the patient’s easy view) where nurses posted messages about the good news in a patient’s recovery. A place where family would be encouraged to write the patient’s positive traits and how loved they are as a reminder to staff that this is a human being—do handle with care!
Employees and employers took the time to write affirming notes to their fellow workers or staff when they appreciated or admired something in someone else’s personhood or performance.
Graffiti artists were hired to draw beautiful scenes with positive inspiring messages in neglected neighborhoods that need a boost. And while they’re at it, have them paint positive messages and images over the destructive graffiti.
Your Takeaway
Why Not begin spreading positive messages of your own? Whether posting them in a public place to have a larger ripple effect, or just taking the time to write a positive note to… your friend, child, spouse, parent, sibling, co-worker, doctor, coach, teacher, plumber, gardener, postperson, niece, nephew, store clerk… anyone and everyone you appreciate and who could benefit from your heartfelt words.
Why not begin writing your own positive graffiti today?
