How Many Smiles Can One Girl Get?
By February 2


Rachel is a high school student on a mission to make people at her school smile with anonymous acts of kindness. She calls her project Operation Sunshines.

“I go to the most average high school there is. As much as people like to say there aren’t cliques, there are,” she says in her blog. Rachel hopes her project will help make her school a happier and friendlier place. “How many smiles can I, just one teenage girl get, by doing it anonymously? And how many more can I just get inspired?” she asks.

Her first random act of kindness was leaving sticky notes on the bathroom mirrors with positive messages like “Beauty is not a size” and “Don’t let this mirror define you”–a gesture she read about on one of our favorite blogs, Operation Beautiful. We’re sure the notes caused at least a few smiles, even though someone took them all down within a few hours (Rachel suspects the school janitor is to blame).

Operation Sunshines doesn’t just document Rachel’s good deeds, it inspires other people to do nice things in their own schools. “What bothers me the most is ‘the new kid’,” she says, “It couldn’t hurt to invite them over to your table during lunch. They could be really cool.” Another tip, she says, is giving genuine compliments, “If you were looking at someone’s profile picture and thought ‘Wow, she looks gorgeous,’ tell her, because no matter what circumstance it will make her day.”

Have you ever done something anonymously just to make another person smile? Tell us about it in the comments!

Photo by: dreemreeper