Day 5 of the 2016 #sendcardsspreadlove Challenge – GUEST POST

Welcome to Day 5 of the 2016 #sendcardsspreadlove Challenge – today is the first in our awesome lineup of guest bloggers!

But first, here’s a brief recap of week 1:

• Week 1 challenge, instructions & prompts graphic
• BIG LIST of reasons to send cards  
• Resources on what to write 
• Today’s guest post with tips for sustaining a letter writing habit

Pretty great first week if I do say so myself. We’ve enjoyed seeing your entries for the week 1 challenge. Keep ‘em coming! You have until April 11th 11:59 pm EST to enter. We’ll be back on Monday with the week 2 challenge and three fabulous guest posts from Josh with Hello Happiness Card Co., Kara from Boho Berry and Lauree of Simply Leap.

This is an interview with one of our very own Pretty by Post® community members, Claire LeGresley, who has a weekly letter writing practice. Pretty incredible, huh? When I found out about her dedication to the craft of letter writing and spreading love, I immediately knew she was my kind of people and would be a perfect fit for the #sendcardsspreadlove challenge.

Enjoy our conversation below and we hope that you feel inspired to start or build upon a consistent letter writing habit.

Please say hello to the Pretty by Post® community and tell us about yourself.

Hey there! I’m Claire, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who helps everyday people rediscover their relationship with food in ways that are realistic, achievable and rewarding.

I was lucky enough to grow up in beautiful Vancouver, BC – where the bulk of my family lives. I moved out east for school and have been living the Toronto good life since 2006.

Since entering the entrepreneurial sphere, writing has become a big part of my world. Whether it be through writing my weekly newsletter, emails to my beloved clients or with good ol’ snail mail – connection through words has quickly become a central part of my work … and life.

When you shared with me that you send letters on a weekly basis, I became a fan for life. That’s a level of dedication that you don’t see often. Can you share why you started this habit and how long you’ve been doing this?

I started writing letters consistently after reading Alexandra Franzen’s blog post “one letter can change your life.” Her gentle push into a letter writing practice was something I didn’t even know I needed.

Having a practice of sending out gratitude, appreciation, love or even just good vibes continues to fill my joy tank up; which I’m finding is an essential part to the fulfilled self-employed/entrepreneurial path.

I have to admit, writing a weekly letter sounds intimidating. Who do you send letters to and what do you typically write about?

I write letters to anyone who’s come into my life and shone their light. Gratitude cards go out frequently – thanking colleagues for referrals, coaches for their kindness, clients for inviting me on their journey and family for their unconditional support.

I’ll also send “you’re awesome” letters to clients, praising them for their courageous pursuit of their best health.

How do you make this a sustainable practice – can you provide tips or suggestions for people on making this a long-standing practice?

I’m a biiig fan of scheduling. Being self-employed I’ve found my schedule to be my saving grace. It helps me to keep calm among that chaos that can come from distractions and clear on what my next task is.

I schedule my “one letter” on Thursday and dedicate just 20 minutes to the task, and genuinely look forward to it. I’ve consciously scheduled this practice towards the end of the week, to use it as a time to reflect on all that I have to be grateful for.

I always keep a card, envelope and stamps on me to make sure I’m always prepared for my letter writing time. As a big fan of cards, I’m constantly browsing the internet for beautiful cards that embody my message, brand and voice.

If you’re not quite convinced you’ve got enough to say to for one letter a week, I recommend starting with a simple thank you card.

Why? Because as Randy Pausch says, “showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”

[Tweet “Sending cards doesn’t have to be tedious. Get tips for starting a letter writing practice.”]

I know that I’m now inspired to send more cards on a consistent basis. Thank you so much Claire for sharing your practice with us and for showing us that sending letters doesn’t have to be time-consuming or tedious.

Let us know in the comments below if you have a consistent writing practice or want to start or build upon one. We love comments!

You can connect with Claire on her website, sign-up for her weekly newsletter here and find her on FB. And if you’re interested in working with her, but you’re not located in Toronto, Skype/telephone consultations are available.

I want to live in a world where healthy eating doesn’t feel drastic, unsustainable and makes you hate yourself in the process. As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I am dedicated to helping my clients learn real food foundations, allowing them to feel empowered with their choices, no matter what the meal options might be.

My “special sauce” is in my kindness and my ability to meet you where you are. I infuse compassion for my clients into how I work, and that allows you to be compassionate towards yourself – which is the key that unlocks healthier eating and makes transformational progress possible.