“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.” Dr. Suess

G: Tell us a little about your project?

L: The Secret Agent L project basically works as a collaborative effort of people all over the world who really want to make a difference through kindness.  I started this project back in July of 2009 at the prompting of a friend who was out of state and was having a birthday. She said, "You know, Laura, I think that birthdays aren’t any fun, and I don’t like them. I just don’t want to have a birthday." I tend to disagree with that because I think birthdays are fantastic.  I told her that I was going to send her a little gift for her birthday, and she said, "No, no, no, no. Don’t send me anything. Go and do a random act of kindness in my name. You can call yourself ‘Secret Agent L, All-Around Swell Chick and Girl Spy.’" I was like, "Oh, well, I love this. This is fun."  I just ran with it.  I decided to do a little anonymous act of kindness, take photos, call it a secret mission, put it up on a blog, and spread the word via social media.

After using social media, people showed that they were interested and wanted to participate. So I started emailing people a PDF of this business card that I was attaching to my little acts of kindness, my little missions.  I would email the PDF to people, and give them a brief description of how the project works and how they can do their missions.  I named these people my "Affiliated Agents." Now I have over 1800 affiliated agents in 8 countries who go out, do their little secret missions of kindness, or day brightening, and then they email everything to me.   I put it up on the website.  It’s this amazing community of people who take a few minutes out of their day to leave something behind for someone to find just to let that person know that they’re not alone, and that someone is thinking about them. It’s very fun. 

G: What advice could you give for people thinking about starting their own project?

L: For me, it was something that I believed in, and I really like hungered for. When you really, really want something, and you really believe in something, you will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. It is daunting, and there are times when I’m like, "Uh, is this a good idea? Should I do this particular mission? What are people going to say about this? Should I go bigger?  What do I do next?"

For me it comes down to, if it’s something you really believe in strongly, then you have to do it, you have to do it or your heart won’t shut up. For anybody out there who has an idea, and even if they’re feeling overwhelmed or kind of lost, just start, do something.  Really listen to your heart, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve had to ask for a lot of help with this project, particularly once it was nationally recognized in the media.  But like I said, if you really love something enough, you will do whatever you need to do to make it happen. 

G: Tell us about DO’s and DON’Ts when starting the project?

S: As I said above, do something. Anything. Start anywhere. DO take action. DO make choices. Just DO. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s hard, I know (oh, do I know!), but people WANT to help. They want to be included, especially in something that is all about goodness and positivity. I really believe that. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. I mean, really, failure isn’t that big of a deal. At the end of the day, if you still have your home, food, indoor plumbing, and at least one person in the world who loves you and one person you love, then you really, truly haven’t failed. Finally, don’t–and I can’t stress this enough–don’t bend your morals or values for anyone or anything. Period. Don’t compromise those.

G: What was the most inspiring moment on the project?

L: There really isn’t a single moment for me, as this project has been on-going now for over two years. But something that continues to inspire me is the number of people I encounter daily who are touched by this project and by the act of kindness. Especially the emails I get from people–many of whom pour their hearts out to me. It’s inspiring and humbling. I feel honoured.

G: What were the biggest obstacles on the project and how did you overcome them?

L: Money is always an issue. Granted, I encourage people who participate in the project to keep their missions to $5 or less, but some days, even $5 is a lot to spare. Our economy is very messy right now, and the lives of our neighbors and friends and even the strangers around us are taking very hard hits as a result. It’s scary, so I’m really trying to think of ways to be kind for FREE. But I’m finding that those missions–those acts of kindness–are often the most touching, at least to me.

Other obstacles include time and energy. I have a full-time job and no internet access at home. My resources are very, very limited. So I often stay late at work to use the computer and internet there. And I have other outside obligations and hobbies, so finding a balance is difficult. But I try to remind myself that even a little bit of kindness is better than no kindness. I have to remind myself that don’t have to do this 100% of the time but it will still be meaningful.

G: What do you do when you need  inspiration?

L: I go back and read emails from people who have written to me over the past two years (thousands of emails!). I go to Operation NICE, my friend Melissa’s project/website. I go to GivesMeHope.com. I read. I visit Pinterest and search for quotes. I love words–they’re so powerful and always, always move me.

G: What are your top inspirations?

L: My parents, definitely. Movies and TV shows that highlight truly human situations and experiences. I love period pieces, like Pillars of the Earth, anything by BBC, and other costume dramas. And I love Shakespeare. I just finished acting in a Shakespearean play (I’m a professional actor as well), and there is just something so powerful about the language and the characters. I never feel more alive than when I’m acting on stage.

G: Is there a particular time or occasion when you get inspired most often?

L: During the day, when I’m in front of the computer, actually! And when I’m talking with people, which I have the opportunity to do with my day job. Just listening to others–really listening–inspires me tremendously. Everyone has a story to tell. We need to be open to hearing those stories.

G: What do you think is the best way to inspire others?

L: Live with extreme integrity, kindness, and a sense of humor. Listen to people–really listen. Put down your iPhone, turn away from your computer, close the newspaper. Make eye contact. And always, always tell the truth. Always.

G: What is your formula for living happy and inspiring life?

L: This is a difficult question to answer, since I don’t really think there is one. Life is about more than being happy and being successful. If we focus on those two things, a level of selfishness and self-serving comes into play. It becomes about the individual instead of the community, and that’s an ideology that I really struggle with, especially in our culture. We’re so me-centered. We all about individuality instead of community, and I think that’s one of the reasons our country is really struggling right now. I have found, though, that when I am in a dark place (I suffer from depression), I can come out of that darkness inch by inch if I give to others. My best friend Vivian (who also helps me with the SAL Project) said to me once, "Laura, when you need, give." And so I try to live that out every single day.