7 cards to 7 people in 7 days - will create happiness (especially for you!)

Send 7 Cards to 7 people in 7 Days: Surprising Science on Why It’ll Make you Happier Every now and then as you flip through your mail – junk, junk, a bill, a catalog... you'll find one...an envelope with a handwritten address. Stop for a moment and think about that little flare of joy that flutters in your heart. You know what I'm talking about.  That's what this episode is all about. 💌 The joy a rectangle of paper provides in the humble greeting card. And here's why. It's almost Thinking of You Week (September 21–27, 2026), and Beth is kicking off a two-part series on the creativity and the science behind sending a greeting card. This week, she explores why sending a card might be one of the simplest, research-backed happiness boosts available to you. And it's easy to concentrate on this month because September 21-27 is Thinking of You Week. In this episode, you'll discover: • The origin story behind Thinking of You Week. It started as a Lenten challenge from photographer Leonard Smith that grew into an international movement backed by the Greeting Card Association • This year's official challenge: seven cards to seven people in seven days (and why "vague intentions rarely turn into actions") • Surprising numbers behind why we are a card culture (even though we are so darn digital)•Americans buy an estimated 6.5 billion greeting cards a year• 7 in 10 card buyers call them "essential," not just nice-to-have • The UK neuroscience research showing a handwritten card lights up the brain differently than a text or email and provides roughly twice the happiness of a social post and three times that of an email • Why a University of Chicago study says you're wrong about how awkward your card will feel.• The science-backed twist: the person who sends the card often ends up happier than the person who receives it • A simple "Who's On Your List?" exercise to help you figure out exactly who needs a card from you this month (including why the person you're most hesitant to write to is probably the one who needs it most) • Beth's 7-step plan to actually pull off seven cards, seven people, seven days• Homework for this week: Make your list of seven people and find their addresses Part 2 is coming next week, and it's all about making the cards and other treasures about the humble greeting card. Discover more from Create Today (AND, get your free Going FourWords™ Guide): www.bdi-create.today Try the Going FourWords Clubhouse ($1 your first month):
www.bdi-create.today/going-fourwords-membership 🎧 Subscribe to the Create-Today podcast for the latest chat with about creativity, connection, and living well every week.  #ThinkingOfYouWeek #ThinkingOfYouWeekChallenge Timeline: 00:00 Why Cards Matter 03:08 Thinking of You Week 04:11 Origin and Challenge 06:33 Card Culture by Numbers 10:15 Sponsor Going Forwards Clubhouse 13:18 Science of Receiving Cards 16:32 Giving Feels Even Better 18:48 Pick Your Seven People 22:28 Seven Step Prep Plan 27:32 Final Takeaway and Next Episode