“Chasing the light doesn’t necessarily look good on paper.”—Heidi Hook
Many years ago, I created an iPhone app called “Planet Goodwill: 365 Ways to Share the Love.” For each day of the year, it suggested a simple (very simple) act of random kindness that anybody could do anywhere.
It included leaving a cupcake for your mailman or taking a flower to your favorite barista. When I say I created it, I came up with the idea, wrote the copy and secured the photos that popped up to announce each day’s fun new act of generosity.
The technical part of the app was handled by a company in California that soon went under and the app disappeared, although I still have its beautiful icon on my phone.
And I still hang on to the intention of spreading a little bit of light each day whether it’s a simple “thinking of you” text or a secret love note left on a stranger’s car windshield or — as I’m choosing to do today –a blog post that celebrates the ridiculously beautiful things that keep landing in my inbox. Like the video of the crow helping a hedgehog across the street or the note of synchronicity from a reader whose bill for 22 things at Costco came to exactly $222 at :22 after the hour.
I especially got a kick out of this story of synchronicity, shared with me by John Milton Branton at JMB Films:
“Dear Pam
I’m driving my sons to school when I notice a mini-trampoline that someone has placed beside the road. I decide I’ll come back and scope it out later, which I do.
I park a few houses away and notice, directly across from where I’ve parked, a little free library. Now I’ve driven down this street many times, probably daily for the last month, and I never saw this take-one/leave-one library before.
I’m going through the books and I see this E-Cubed title, decide it’s some kind of math book – ugh – and pass over it. Nothing interests me, but as I’m about to leave E-Cubed falls off the shelf and I catch it. Okay, so maybe it leaped into my hands. I see it’s not a math book and, well, it’s calling “take me home, take me home.” Which I do.
Part 2. I have a lot of books and a lot of rewriting to do so E-Cubed ends up on a table beside my desk for a day or two. As I’m not reading anything for pleasure at the moment, I pick it up and start browsing. Pretty soon, I’m reading huge chunks of it at a time. It’s definitely got my attention.
Part 3. I read the part about the butterfly experiment from E-Squared. And I think, well I’ll give that a try. And I’m thinking, it’s January in Vancouver and there’s snow in the forecast so “there ain’t gonna be no butterflies. “Bring it on, Universe,” I say anyway. “Show yourself.”
Part 4. My son and I make a trip to Urgent Care because we both have coughs that aren’t going away. His blood work comes back showing pneumonia. I’ve just got the normal respiratory virus that’s making the rounds so I’ll just have to tough it out. He gets the drugs.
A few hours later the prescription’s ready and I hop into the car to head to the pharmacy. I start the car, the radio comes on with a song I’ve never heard before. It’s soft and soulful and makes me calm and peaceful. I look at the readout of the song title on the screen, “God, will heal you,” it says. Whoa. Message from the Universe? Pretty hard to deny but it ain’t no butterfly!
Part 5. I’m wandering through my local Shopper’s Drug Mart and decide I better stock up on Kleenex. I pass a shelf full of Kleenex but decide to pick it up on my way out since my hands are full and I don’t have a shopping cart. I’m on a completely different aisle and there’s a smaller Kleenex display on a low shelf – packages of six wrapped together. And they’re on sale. I bend down to grab a pack and I notice the design on the boxes is butterflies – lots and lots of big fat butterflies! And not just butterflies but words in Latin. Maximus: highest; Purus-pure; vitae-life; Highest pure life! And butterflies. On a Kleenex box.
I surrender.”
Thank you, John, for sharing the love. And for reminding us all that miracles are always around for those with the eyes to see them.
And thanks to each of you for promising to have the very best weekend of your life.
#222 Forever!
Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World)
46 Responses
Thank you for the wonderful examples of goodness all around, Pam!
I especially like the jumping E3 book and the tattoo on the Antarctica
cruiser person’s arm. Goodness right back at ya!!
I love when books jump into my arms.
And, thank you, Pam, for blessing *my* inbox with that ridiculously FUN read! The weekend is officially off to a great start!
So glad. Here’s to beautiful weekends every day!!!
Amen, John! Amen!
Thanks, AGAIN, Pam💕
As always, it is my great pleasure.
Magic at every word – Thank You for sharing! 🙏💕
Why thank you!
Thank you for sharing that wonderful story!
Such blessings my inbox receives nearly every day!
Thanks as always Pam. I love reading your blogs, they always inspire and put my mind in the correct frame . Perhaps one day one of your blogs could be some of your suggestions from your app . I would have liked to have owned it .
Happy days to you and everyone
Yes, I was rather sad that it went out of “print,” so to speak. It was loads of fun!
I love you, Pam!
And I love you, Sheila!
I am so glad you shared John’s story, Pam! It absolutely brightened my day. I am now intending to have the very best weekend of my life. At the moment, I have a few activities planned, but nothing extraordinary. Can’t wait to see what lies in store!
Those kinds of weekends are the best–where great surprises can find you!
I woke up this morning as my husband was opening the blinds and sunshine flooded into the room. So I start singing the song from Godspell “Let the sun shine in, let the sun shine in, let the sun shine in, the sun shine in.”
Sun and light and joy–may it all shine in this weekend!
Love, love, LOVE this post. Thanks for sharing all the magic around us Pam. Here’s to the BEST weekend ever!!! ✨🔮❤️🦋
Magic is my mojo!!!
Ahhh Pam, you’ve done it again – your post has made me smile and feel hopeful peace in my heart. Thank you. 🙏🥰
There really are truly delightful synchronicity ‘miracles’ happening everywhere, all the time. Just last night my sister told me how she’d been watching a program about a very random, odd topic, and when her partner came home she told him about it and asked for his thoughts on the subject. He said, “well it’s funny you should ask as I heard a song about that very thing today.” !!!!! Amazing! And I love that she told me this story last night when this morning I read your post about synchronicities and messages from the Universe. 😍 Life is a constant dance of miracles, if we open our hearts and minds to ‘see’ then. Thanks dear Pam! Your wish to spread a little bit of Light each day comes true for us here every time you post. Bless you! 🎉🌟🦋🌏✨😘
Love that–a constant dance of miracles!
Thank you. I’m on holiday and not really appreciating this experience. Reading that post helps me rediscover what I already know and have strayed.
Thanks ❤️😊Brenda
May the experience turn in a 180, where everything is a miracle!
You ! Pam my friend ,never cease to amaze me !!! God bless you 🙏 angel!! Your a keeper!! I give your books away to special people i care about ,so far as know they have profoundly changed their lives !! I say to myself but of course!! Bless you sweet angel 😇 cathy from Summerland California
I love batting for the angel team! Thank you!
I Love Love Love reading your posts, so grateful for them, it lifts my spirit and have a huge smile on my face! 😍 thank you for sharing John’s story, amazing! And if your App (great idea by the way) ever comes back to life I’m subscribing!!
Oh cool! I’ll remember that!!!
I LOVE everything about this post!!! Whew….so COOL! Fly on my lovely butterflies!
Lovingly
Kate
Yes! Fly on! The butterfly stories I’ve heard over the years are SO MUCH FUN!
“Everyday miracles” appear in my life every day. Particularly the days I don’t think they will. Last summer was not having a good day and nothing was coming together. I stood out in a parking lot and said to the Universe, “is there anybody out there watching over me?”. Went on to my next chore. Parked the car, and when I got out, there was a huge hawk’s feather lying on the ground beside my car. Message received.
Just after the holidays in January, I was having another challenging day. I went to the post office and there was still a huge line out the door even though the holidays were supposed to be over. I sighed and went and stood in line. Now, the aside to this story is that right from the beginning of our relationship my husband (who passed in 2019) and I had a “pretend fight” over who was the best that lasted the entire 30 years we were together. One of us would start the argument by saying “you’re the best” and the other would come back with “no, you’re the best”. We would keep at it until we were laughing our heads off. So that day at the post office waiting in line with the rest of the world, I started looking around and spotted a display of greeting cards for sale. My eye went directly to one card. There was a picture of Snoopy sitting in front of his typewriter on top of his dog house and the card said …
It was a dark and stormy time. So I wrote a list of all the reasons that you’re the best. You know, in case you forgot. When you opened the card, there is a picture of Snoopy jumping for joy and saying – thinking of you.
You know I had to buy that one. My relationship with my husband has never ended. It just transformed into a different kind.
I could go on and on. The guy in a pick-up truck with a dead battery who returned in a different form a few days later as a guy in a pick-up truck at the post office who helped me carry a bunch of packages to mail. I never ceased to be amazed at the miracles I see every day – as long as I keep both eyes and mind open to see them.
You ARE the best! And those stories–thank you SO MUCH for sharing!!!
I love you Pam. I think we were twins, separated at birth. 🤣
LOVE THIS! Like everything else you write, and it always makes me so happy!
So, am I imagining it, or did you mention you have a new book coming out?
Please keep doing what you do!
Perfect day to see your name in my email and be reminded that we are called, capable and expected to live a life of miracles. Just ordered your book on A Course in Miracles to beef up my already miraculous life! This 87 year old is headed for the 7th performance of “Count It All Joy,” my one woman show! See a clip of it on my website: LindaKaufmanMusicals.com.❤️
Pam, these stories remind me to look for the magic, do random acts of kindness and to have Faith in the Divine. Oh, and I picked up your “A Course in Miracles Experiment” book again! I love reading the regular course lessons then turning to your book for your take on them. Thank you for all the love you put into the world!
Love this post, love receiving your emails of light, and love you, Pam! Thank you! 🙏 💖
LOVE this!! Pulling ECubed off the shelf again. 🙂Thank you, John, Pam, Martha Creek, and 222 Energy/Love!
Please bring back Planet 365… With love and gratitude for all you do!
Thank you for this. Love it. Love, kindness, gratitude & wonderment. That is life.
Would love to see this app happen again
Thank you!!!
I would so love for you to put out a book with all of these wonderful synchronicity stories in it – they make me feel so good!!!
Perhaps you could revive that app.
Your emails just make my day
They make me smile and stretch my thinking and my faith
I own all your books
You are my new daily inspiration
I am reading the course in miracle ((your version) love it!!!!
You are such a light and love energy in this world and in my world
Thank you thank you Thankyou
I just know I will meet you in person one day
You are my heroess
Lori aka (self love coach)💕
Excellent story!
Last week, I needed funds to catch up my life insurance. I was sharing the Abracadabra Principle with a new friend and decided I’d ask for the funds. I’m restarting my company right now and have a limited income.
My broker called with a rep from the Accounting Department, Alice, to explain how much I’d need to pay before the policy expired. She started her explanation, then said, “Look, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you credit now for a dividend you’ll receive later this year. You don’t need any cash now. I just need your authorization.”
Authorize away, Alice! And thank you, Universe and Pam Grout.
I hope my new friend used the Abracadabra Principle I shared with her, too.