Secret (Joy) Agent: Sneaky Cards

I felt a rush of excitement when I opened a pack of Sneaky Cards and started reading them.

Each of the 55 cards has a mini-mission of joy, kindness, connection, or wackiness. You carry out the task and then pass the card on to your impromptu accomplice or recipient. A few examples I’ve accomplished so far:

• take a selfie with a stranger
• bake something for a friend
• leave this card in your favorite book at the library
• buy someone coffee
• leave this card in a different state or region
• pre-pay for an item at a vending machine

I’m only a third of the way though my deck and already it’s been a very fun and rewarding challenge. There are a few that I can’t see myself ever doing (e.g. “make a speech in an elevator to three strangers”). The rest are “leave behind”, involve less confrontational interaction, and/or stretch my comfort zone enough to be intriguing but not enough to induce paralysis or weeping.

Yes, I did take a selfie with a stranger. The card gave me license. “I’m on a digital scavenger hunt and am supposed to take a selfie with a stranger. Can you help me with that?” It was scary and awesome and the person couldn't have been nicer.

With the cards that get left somewhere I like to imagine the puzzled look on the person who finds it, followed by a smile. A tiny moment of unexpectedness and color. And if they’re the right kind of person now THEY have a mini-mission, should they choose to accept it.

Each card has a unique code so theoretically it can be tracked online (anonymously). I say theoretically because so far only a few of my cards have been reported by others, and judging by online reviews this is pretty common. No matter.

For me the main attraction is getting an assignment and permission to do something different that otherwise I wouldn’t think of or be emboldened to try. The cards are motivation to interact with the world in some small new and unexpected way. I think of them as a pinch of spice to add to the daily recipe (mine and the recipient's).

If any of this sounds interesting, it’s a cheap investment. Also would make a fun small gift or group activity!

Go on, Play it forward.