We moved a couple of months ago to a new town, and I’ve been exploring the neighborhood with our dogs. Most of the time we’re seeking shady sidewalks during the hottest part of summer, and in our quest for shade, I notice the flags and banners in the yards of the homes we walk by. Having a yard sign for something other than a political candidate is like having a bumper sticker on your car but with higher stakes. It communicates the way you see the world and provokes readers to consider a different perspective.

My favorite yard banner says this: “Throw kindness around like confetti.” It reminds me of the New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York City and the confetti dump that happens when the clock strikes midnight. Confetti rains from the sky, and everyone is covered, hats and hair and winter coats. There’s no aiming with confetti. It is scattered profusely with no thought of targeting or reciprocity. There’s just joy.

The yard banner asks us to consider what type of world we might have if we threw kindness like confetti with no aim or motive other than the sheer joy of it. And joy is the unspoken outcome of random acts of kindness – ask anyone who has ever done something nice for stranger. So today, let kindness be confetti. Throw some and see what happens. I’m guessing it will stick to you as much as it sticks to everyone else.