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4.03.2013

A #MIGHTYLOVE PROJECT

i'm really excited today to announce a project i've been working on. but first, this:

i've been on the internet, in one way or another, since i was in middle school. aol, dial up style.

when i was 13, my best friend made up fake aol screen names for us that we used to talk to this one boy in school that she had a crush on. his name was mike. he was blonde and really tall. she had this genius idea to tell him that we were models who'd worked as body doubles for kate winslet on titanic. geeeeenius use of the internet, right? in real life my best friend was too nervous to ever say two words to this boy, but on the internet she was fearless. and they were friends. sort of. she and mike spent hours on aim chat that year talking about all sorts of things, but they weren't actually friends. because the whole thing was a lie . . . but except they kind of were friends.

i think a lot about how i'm using the internet these days. i mean, for mindless entertainment, usually. but i want to use it for good. especially this dumb old blog. i think about quitting it all at least once a week. all the time, really, because blogging can be the stupidest. the negative parts of blogging can really get me down. i keep at it because whenever i start to think it's time to call time of death on this thing, someone will email me out of the blue to thank me for something i'd written that made some kind of difference in their lives, or someone will post something on their blog that feels so real and so good, like it was meant just for me in that moment. like we're all part of a giant internet hug. 

i came across the quote above on maggie mason's blog a few weeks ago, and it struck me in a way that was almost piercing. blogs, instagram, twitter, they're just the carrier pigeons. you and me, we are the message. and i thought it would be fun, and really great, and really rad if we could all take a minute to do something good on the internet. something unquestionably good.

i'm partnering up with the go mighty girls to do a bit of an internet charity fundraiser. for a week and a half, i want to positively flood the internet with love. just, i want the whole wide web to be swimming in it. just for a short while. do you think you could help me?  

here's how it works: between now and april 12th (that's next friday), we'll spam the internet with compliments to all the women in our lives we are grateful for. on instagram, on twitter, on our blogs, however we feel most comfortable. we've installed a hashtag tracker, and each hashtagged post or tweet or instagram will count toward our goal. the tag is #mightylove. we'd like to get 500 hashtagged compliments by next friday, and then go mighty will make a $500 donation to a battered women's shelter here in nyc.

you can post as many compliments over the week as you'd like, there's no limit! just use the hash tag #mightylove (all big font style like it's 2005 up in here.)

and tag me too so i can follow along: @natthefatrat, across all social media platforms.

here are some examples to get your gears greased . . . coincidentally they're also our first 3 compliments. 500 here we come!


please join me and tell all your friends! 
thank you in advance, this really means the world to me. 

57 comments:

  1. Love this idea. Just instagrammed my first #mightylove! :)

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  2. This is such an amazing idea! Thank you for sharing your heart with us! Off to spread some #mightylove!!!

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  3. What a great, cool, thing! I'll be thinking of my #mightylove moves for the next few days.

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  4. This is the cutest idea I've come across on the internet in a long while! I definitely agree about the internet and social media being used in a no-so-nice way, so it's refreshing to see people trying to use it for good/love! :) You go girl. (I'll be participating of course!)

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  5. I kind of think the Internet could use some love! This could be huge!

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  6. what an amazing way to use the internet for GOOD! "we are the message" is so powerful. thanks for the inspiration to spread some #mightylove!

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  7. This is such an incredible idea. I will definitely be participating. Thank you for using the blog world for such good. I suspect this will have a really positive impact in many peoples lives, not to mention the shelter.

    Some Snapshots Blog
    Jess

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  8. Im so down! Great great ideaerr!

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  9. Love this! Just posted mine, and I am excited to watch where this goes in the next few days!

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  10. Sounds like a great project! Will definitely join the #mightylove group soon. :)

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  11. This is a great idea! I'm excited to participate :)

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  12. Fantastic idea, I am totally in! Yay for love! Yay for you! :)

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  13. Can I start right here? #mightylove
    this is such a wonderful idea.

    <3becky
    www.loosefromthezoo.com

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  14. It's post and projects like this that make me glad you don't throw in the towel on your blog and that make you my favorite blogger. I love seeing people use the power of social media for good. :) Hope NYC is as beautiful as VA today.

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  16. don't stop blogging :) i just sent you an instagram (i'm everywhimandnotion) to show you what i do when i am bored at work. i have three favorite blogs that i check out religiously and yours is one of them. i would read more blogs if more blogs hit the spot for me, but they just don't. this is a great little project though because we should all send more love out there!!!

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  17. Natalie, I have been reading your blog for the last 2 really hard years where I moved intercontinentally, twice, got married and struggled to get pregnant. It has been crazy! Reading your blog brought me so many smiles and felt like I had a friend who got what it meant to be a Christian infertile woman. Please don't quit writing, ever. I think you should write a book, about what I have no idea but I would buy it for sure! Thanks for being awesome and don't listen to the haters. They are the voice of the devil just filtered out of stupid people's mouths and computers.

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  18. this. this is why i love you. please, please, please never stop being you & never stop writing about it either.

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  19. i'm so excited for this! i love love love it. you're incredible and inspiring and i look up to you. you are amazing and never stop being so.

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  20. What an awesome way to use all of this silly internet-ness for the good! I'm excited to join :) Also, my brother's birthday is april 12th, too!

    xo

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  21. Natalie, thank you. Let's drown out the crap. I'm so in.

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  22. this really melts my heart, Natalie. you, you are a good one. spreading the love...NOW! xoxo

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  23. Natalie, this is wonderful, you are wonderful. I'm so excited to spread love on the internet and through social media, #mightylove on instagram already has so many inspiring posts, this is great! I will defintley be sharing this on my blog and hope #mightylove filters through the internet!

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  24. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  25. yes! this is why the internet is a good place and this is why you blog! i love it

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  26. This is a wonderful, "lovely" idea :)

    I'm all over it.

    The Nautical Owl
    Facebook
    Etsy
    Twitter

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  27. I love this for so many reasons. Thank you for all you do!!!

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  28. I love this.. and I AM IN!

    Great job using your internet presence for good!

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  29. Done. Done. and done!

    wildflowerwindow.wordpress.com
    Instagram.com/narahjayasekera

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  30. OH I LOVE THIS! SO DONE!!! Yay love!

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  31. fantastic brilliant feel good idea! :] can't wait to think of what I want to write a post about :]]

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  32. fantastic! I am looking forward to this so much!

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  33. I'm definitely going to do this! Starting tomorrow and I'll be sure to let my readers know about it as well! <3

    xoxo

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  34. Love this. Started today and will keep it up! :)

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  35. LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Posted on instagram and my blog. Such a great idea and so inspiring! http://wildflowersandfreedom.blogspot.com/

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  36. Dear Natalie,
    Please don't leave the blog! I check in on you every weekday and would miss you sooooo much! I work at a very large company in a very beige cubicle in downtown Portland, Oregon (and you know how grey this place can be for 8 months out of the year). honestly, the brightest spot of the my work day is checking in on my fave blog ladies. I don't bother with the news or facebook or anything negative (i'm a Mommy, i get spooked too easily. you know), but feel in a small way like i kinda know you and care about you. I even still use a slightly-modified version of your chocolate chip recipe (i'm a very nice person, not at all a weirdo - i swear). I think you are very lovable and spunky and am very glad that you share glimpses of your life with us. much luv, -k #MIGHTYLOVE

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  37. Love this. How wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

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  38. Natalie, I have been an off and on follower for awhile now(I just keep forgetting to add your blog to my bloglovin list and so I only randomly remember to check! Overwhelmed with blog reading over here!). But I am definitely in love with this. What an awesome awesome thing you are doing. Thanks for sharing! I LOVE it. I try to share some love on the internet as often as possible so this is totally my cup of tea. Can't wait to join in!

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  39. This is so beautiful, Natalie. This idea is amazing. I would love it if we were just paying one another compliments; but the fact that we carry the goodness further and can help women in need--ICING ON THE CAKE.

    I never comment here. I don't know why. Because I read on my phone while nursing? Lame excuse. I should comment every time you post, because you're my favorite person on the Internet. I should tell you that every time you write. Every time you say something that resonates with me (which is every time you write).

    We had a blogger meetup here in Denver last week. Oh, were you just the topic of conversation! Every person there, mama or not, blogger or not, oh, they just loved to read Nat the Fat Rat. We talked about your wit and we talked about your charm and we talked about your way of seeing the world.

    I'm telling you all of this so that you know how vast is the scope of people you touch. There are so many of us thinking, "Wouldn't Natalie just be our best friend?!" because you understand and can communicate so well how people feel. You're in-touch with the world in this poetic sort of way. Thanks for sticking out the nastiness of the Internet to be something good.

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  40. I think that there's a really good message behind this, and I'm sure that you didn't mean it to come across this way, but as someone who deals a fair amount with charity work I have to point out that this whole "if you do X, we'll donate $Y!" concept comes across as basically holding charity money ransom for clog traffic. Like, if you get 499 hashtags, you'll shrug and spend the money on rent instead? Either you're donating money or not, and what a great message, but think about how that looks from the perspective of the women's shelter.

    I'm sorry for being "that person," and again, I'm sure you didn't MEAN it that way, but youguys.

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  41. This is awesome! Hopefully it'll spread around the teen online world too :)

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  42. Heck yeah! Challenge accepted. My first attempt: @natthefatrat YOU are inspiring. The bravery, the candidness, the freakin adorable style/son/hubby..you go girl! #MIGHTYLOVE

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  43. Love your blog but the font is so tiny it is soooooooooooooo hard to read! :( Find myself (like this post) just skimming the narrative when there's a lot, because it's too difficult to read and keep each line separate. Would love a bigger type! Until then the pictures will have to do.

    Just had to say. Otherwise: LOVE!

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  44. Natalie, I'm so on board with this. Its amazing. I'm not on Twitter or Instagram but I blogged a response today with my take on the challenge! Check it out here: www.thelittleforeverthings.blogspot.co.uk

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  45. What a lovely idea Nat! I´m so joining this on Instagram and Twitter, thanks so much for the opportunity :)

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  46. What a beautiful project! I just want you to know that I hope you never stop blogging. You're a beautiful writer, and you bring a perspective that's so fresh and relatable. Don't let the negative get you down - so many people are just looking to be offended!

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  47. I'll definitely take part! such a wonderful idea to raise money!

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  48. Looks great. Sent two tweets today.

    A bit larger type would be nice. It's a little hard to read.

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  49. Okay, now I feel silly for gushing because I got to the part where that's what you're telling us to do. :) ...but that's the POINT isn't it?! :) I just really loved this post. I was laughing out loud (yeah, LOL) at the Leo DiCaprio aim sillyness and I am so with you on the internet hug :) I absolutely believe in sharing those amazing thoughts and feelings we have for others...why keep it to ourselves when we can literally MAKE someone's day...or week. Sometimes it's something so little.

    Thank you for this post...and hoping you keep on blogging for a very long time! :)

    Totally on board...let's go hug the internet ;)

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  50. I love this. The idea, the action, the intention. <3

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  51. This is amazing. And it totally tugs what's been on my heartstrings for months...without knowing what to do about it. THANK YOU!

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  52. AMAZING!!! And joining in on twitter felt so so good. Thanks for putting this out there - I was also in the midst of 'must pull the plug on this blog thang in the near future' - and then I came here. This is such a beautiful idea with so much power behind it. Thank you.

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  53. I did it I did it today!xo

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  55. In love with this idea! I will be hashtagging like crazy this week!

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