All That Glitters Is Good? Here's a Crazy Idea

When we say “glitter,” what comes to mind? 

Annoying. Insidious. Bad for the Earth. And probably some association with strippers, right? 

But, funny story: Glitter is actually gloriously beautiful. And it’s intended to be abundant and sparkly and all the happy things. 

Did you notice even glitter has turned into something negative? And this, friends, is a perfectly glistening metaphor for the ways of the world. Because — not to be all dramatic or anything, but— negativity is crushing our souls. It seems everywhere we turn, we’re hearing about sadness, hopelessness, devastation, death and chaos. 

We’re inundated. We’re practically being showered by a glitter bomb of negativity every time we turn on the TV, or stream a podcast, or open Facebook. And let’s not even talk about Twitter. 

But we see just the opposite in our daily lives. We see and experience the power of the good almost daily, right here in Northern Nevada. Sometimes, it is a simple gesture like someone holding open a door for another, or a Starbucks line where everyone is buying the venti-half-caff-no-whip for the person behind them. Sometimes, it’s a far grander gesture, like people coordinating donations for those less fortunate, or a group of like-minded individuals banding together with creative ideas to change the world for the better. 

And yet there’s no one here really telling those stories. We haven’t been able to find the outlet where we could congregate and celebrate these expressions of pure good. 

Until now. Because we have a really crazy idea!

(But hang tight, because we need to tell you the backstory of the really crazy idea.) 

So three years ago, we at the Estipona Group launched a community giving campaign, with our team coming together to complete good deeds — one for every year we had been in business. With every diaper collected, with every pie baked for seniors, with every bag of goods donated, with every birthday party thrown for homeless children, with every dollar raised through our putt-putt tournament — people were beaming with pride, appreciation, connection. Those on our team felt the pride and effects, and those around us felt it too. It was beautifully palpable. 

But while every subsequent year felt that much more awesome, we soon came to realize: If we continue completing just one good deed for every year we’ve been in business — well, quite frankly, that’s too limiting. By subscribing to some artificial boundary based on a number, we’ve created an obstacle to giving — which is the very opposite of what we intended in the first place. 

So what if we can overcome this obstacle. Together? 

(Here it is: The really crazy idea. Ready?) 

What if we could create a movement of sorts — people banding together, telling the stories of good, amplifying the positivity, celebrating humanity at its best? 

What if we could elevate humanity through a tide of positivity and rainbows and sparkly stuff that’s not super annoying like glitter?

Wouldn’t that in turn create an exponential ripple effect, a cascade of good, that would overtake our community and envelop every one of us in a wave of utter positivity? We would be active witnesses to the positive, which would in turn make us look for more positivity, or even more adeptly recognize it when it happens. Wouldn’t that help us individually, as well as collectively?  

So this, friends, is our request. 

We’ve written a thing, which we’re calling our “Short and Sweet Manifesto for Good.” And it’s on a new platform we’re getting set to launch: JustThePositive.com.  

(And to be clear, it’s more a Jerry Maguire manifesto — definitely not the kind penned by a recluse holed up in the woods with a penchant for hoodies.)

We believe in community. We believe in this community. We believe in the power of humans to help, to transform, to uplift. And we believe the moment is now.

So our goal is to literally create a positivity movement. And we’re hoping you join us. We want everyone who longs for positivity — who experiences it, witnesses it, benefits from it, works toward it — to join forces, contribute, partake and share. 

We’re putting our resources behind it. Our team is dedicated to creating and managing this platform, which will serve to amplify the power of good. 

Won’t you join us? If you are ready for more of the positive, and if you agree that too much of what we see and experience on a daily basis in traditional media outlets is in fact the very opposite of the positive, please help us spread this message. 

Please, help us by sharing this manifesto and adding your name to the movement, and let’s create a groundswell of good. All you’ll be doing by adding your name to our list is asking us to notify you when the site launches with live, amazing, positive content. And then once the site is live, you’ll have the opportunity to help us tell the stories as well, because this platform is about the community — and by the community. 

Because we think 2019 is the year to change the world, one positive story at a time. 

It’s time to take back glitter! 

(But not literally. Because it really is bad for the Earth.) 

Who’s with us?