We need 4 hugs a day for survival,

8 hugs a day for maintenance,

And 12 hugs a day for growth”

~ Virginia Satir

POSITIVE FOCUS:

 GLOBAL FREE HUG DAY:
October 19 11:00 – 1:00 pm

 SAVE THE DATE: 2009 Global Free Hug dates established:

Saturday, April 4th — all day

Sunday, October 18th — all day

GLOBALLY SPEAKING: In the words of the huggers:

CAROL ~ This experience for me was amazing on many facets. Certainly giving hugs on the 19^th was tremendous as was seeing others give and receive hugs. Yet for me, the two month journey of creating the space for a Global Free Hug day was an experience to itself. I emailed with people all over the world, collaborated with amazing peaceful groups, learned a little geography in the process, but mostly, I felt a connection to world citizens. It made the world seem friendlier and smaller. As I received story after story on the wonderful impact this event had on all of you as well as those you hugged, it even deepened that connection. The pictures are priceless and I can see myself standing next to you in all of these amazing pictures around the world. Thank you for sharing your hearts with the world citizens. I am truly touched.

BELGIUM - Liege

LINO ~ We took spontaneously part yesterday in Liège - Belgium and it was great.

ENGLAND - London

JOHN ~ We had a wonderful experience in Trafalgar Square. 7 of us turned up with free hugs signs in 6 different languages. As luck would have it there was already an event going on which attracted 100’s of people many of whom were interested in what we were doing and in Humanity’s Team. The nice thing about hugs is that they bridge the generation gap as all ages of people take part. In London especially there are many different cultures and backgrounds which all add to the hugging experience. We hugged for 3 hours with a big group hug at the end. Humanity’s Team is all about awakening the world to our Oneness and that’s how we all felt – connected to each other and especially to everyone who had given and received hugs, smiles, a hand shake or exchanged a few friendly words. A really big thank you to you for all your tremendous hard work in putting this together. You’ve done an outstanding job. Global hugs day is here to stay!! Hugs from the UK to the USA

ANNA ~ We had a brilliant experience yesterday. Yesterday I felt as if I hugged half of London. It was really amazing. One of my best friends stepped in at the last moments and changed her whole attitude to spirituality - realizing that it is all about life and not about hanging in the clouds. When I saw tears of joy in her eyes, I realized that she got it. Well, thank you Carol. Without you it wouldn’t be possible.

SHARON ~ The *global free hug day* went really well in Trafalgar Square. London is commonly known as the loneliest city… So many people, who generally walk past each other with out any communication or acknowledgement to each other That certainly wasn’t the case on Sunday 19th Oct 2008. We were all a bit nervous to start with - then Anna had the first hug & there was no stopping us from then on…as the photo’s show we had a wonderful time hugging & sharing smile’s with all around us. There was a wonderful Indian festival going on in Trafalgar Square on Sunday too & there were thousands of people around. No one was counting how many hug’s were taking place but I assure you there were lot’s & lot’s & lot’s. I personally wish it was a monthly event.

ITALY - Rome

MARCO ~ Rome I’m back from a wonderful hugs day in Rome! Piazza di Spagna was full of tourists that enjoyed hugging us and we involved many many people to come with us and hug everyone!! We hugged thousands of people in piazza di Spagna & piazza del Popolo!! We’ve been announced at Radio DeeJay this morning. A hug to all the world! AN ENOURMUS HUG TO YOU, THE ONE THAT MADE THIS WONDERFUL DAY HAPPEN!  

UNITED KINGDOM - York

JD ~ G’day! I hope you had a fantastic day on Sunday! I myself had a brilliant time! I was hugging on both Saturday and Sunday, and got roughly 400 or so hugs in around 6 hours altogether. Not as long as I usually do it for, but i was tired and had a few things on then as well, still, I had an absolutely fantastic time! Even better as I was also celebrating a Year of hugs (I know, I’ve already mentioned that, but ah well! I’m just very pleased with myself for managing that!)  I didn’t manage to get any pics unfortunately, but I had a brilliant day, and that’s what counts! A few strangers had their pictures with me, so if i find any online from then I’ll be sure to send them your way! That’s how I’ve got all the pics of me so far!

CANADA - Vancouver

AMY ~ At first we were really nervous to start, though we’d both been wanting to do this for a couple of years now.  We arrived first and were the only two there for about the first half hour. In the beginning we just walked around the Art Gallery unsure where and how we should begin, or maybe if we should just go shopping instead because of our nerves.  We were reticent to even turn our signs around for some reason. Within the first minutes, a group of people sitting at the bus stop noticed our signs before we had even officially turned them around and they actually came to us asking if they could have hugs from each of us. This bolstered our confidence and eased our nervousness, so we just went ahead holding up the signs and had hugged 10 people….20 people….25 people before we knew it, including a man with his baby attached to the front of himself, which he called a “two for one.” Then we were later joined by a group of veteran free huggers in the area and the rest of the afternoon was more fun than we could have ever hoped for. We figure we must have hugged some 50 or more people in the two hours we were there, inspired others to just hug the person they were with and at the very least gave some people a big smile.  When we left a little after 1:00, our faces literally hurt from the amount we were smiling and we physically couldn’t stop this for the rest of the day. We felt hooked once it got going and we can both hardly wait to do it again. There were so many memorable hugs and the whole experience was really quite special overall. Of the ones that stand out in my mind though was a quiet, sad-looking young man that after hugging us, asked if he could maybe come back later and get another one too. Sure enough, he returned in about a half an hour and very politely requested seconds. Other people told us what a great thing it was we were doing and how much they appreciated it. At one point, two young women that were tourists from Switzerland stopped by to take part and have their photos taken with us. They said what a wonderful beginning to their visiting our city this had been. We also met a 14-year-old girl who had just lost her mother to a drug overdose and she happily accepted two hugs from each of us and hung out with us for a little while too. Probably the funniest hug was a man who said he wanted a group hug from all of us at once (between 5-7 huggers at this point) as opposed to going down the line like many others had done.  So we gathered all around him and then did the “washing machine agitator” from side to side with him in the middle, as he laughed and smiled hard and then thanked us for making his day.

MEXICO – Mexico City

Adriana ~ Well as you can see in the notice the problems of security here in Mexico are so dangerous so the people didn’t want to give free hugs to the girls. We were my husband, my son, my daughter and 2 friends of her, the day was a factor to, it was too cloudy and it were a little bit of people in the plaza and the people is to distrustful so they said no thanks. Well I will send to you 2 photos and then the video. We give only 2 free hugs, for 2 girls, the girl with the red cardboard is the friend of my daughter call Elisa and the other was my daughter call Jacquelin with the blue cardboard. In my experience it was wonderful share with my daughter and her friends this occasion and see that my country needs to grow up more and trust more in other people. Note from Carol: I am sure you touched many hearts and opened up possibilities to people who hadn’t seen the free hug movement before. What amazing love you shared with your city.

USA

ARIZONA - Maricopa

CHRIS ~ This was an absolutely amazing event! I feel so spiritually uplifted. I feel I got a great response in spite of the fact that I did no advertising. I gave out lots of hugs, but even the people who didn’t stop for a hug waved, smiled, gave thumbs up. It was truly awesome! One woman stopped her car to thank me for making her smile. But the best part was that every time I hugged someone, I got a hug in return! :^) I would like to do this in my community on a regular basis. Do I need to sign up to do that? Thank you so much for this opportunity.

CALIFORNIA - Santa Barbara

TROY ~ I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never witnessed an event like this. Jerry brought two “Free Hug” signs and (even before I was able to turn the camera on) people were already volunteering themselves to hold the other sign. There was a lot of enthusiasm from people who wanted to participate — especially from the youth. Two girls that we never met before, Katie and Megan randomly joined for about 15 minutes. I was surprised to see how many people stopped to get a quick hug. Even obviously timid folks warmed up to the scene. Every so often a random group hug of 5 or 6 people would spontaneously brake out. Passer-byers couldn’t help but to smile. And what turned out to be a one-man show turned into a big scene. The only thing I regret is not being able to capture all the hugs on camera!

JERRY ~ Our recent experience was brief but very effective. We made many connections and that’s what it’s really about. The hugs are icing on the cake. The real joy is being able to have conscious conversations with people and honor the connection we share. My favorite hug was when a couple handed me their infant daughter to hug. This is a common occurrence when I’m in the joy of the moment. My heart is so open, people sense my genuineness and they are eager to include their children to participate. After doing this for over two years, I’ve connected with people from many countries and my stories are many.

COLORADO - Boulder

NANNETTE ~ One of the most spectacular aspects of this campaign is watching young people offering and participating in Free Hugs.  My son, Casey (age 13) and Steve’s son, Dylan (age 6) stood with us, holding their own Free Hugs signs. Casey genuinely loves giving free hugs and simply put, it makes him smile and say “I just feel so good.” Dylan also is an excellent Free Hugger as can be seen in the photos. I think everyone should try holding a Free Hugs sign. The human contact energizes the two (or more) hugging, and all those who witness the hugging. Even those folks, who turn down the hugs, walk away with smiles on their faces. Many, many people, said, “Keep up the good work. Thank you.” All any of us really wants is to be recognized as being huggable/loveable.  When you have a FREE HUGS sign in your hand and your arms are open ALL are welcome . . . unconditionally.  It is an experience that unless you’ve participated, is really kind of hard to describe.  Suffice it to say, that my son and I have to date (between the two of us) have given/received over 2000 free hugs. We’ve made Free Hugging habitual.

ILLINOIS - Chicago

BARBIE ~ On October 19, 2008 I joined the folks at positive Focus on downtown Chicago for a lovely day, it was the Global celebration of Free Hugs. I had a marvelous time with this fellow’s maybe because they are all marvelous individuals that take time out of their day to spread the love around the world. This is the second time I had the opportunity to hang out with this group of people doing precisely that, giving hugs away and each time I come out of there energized and full of positivism. It is my personal believe that it is just that, a little love, what we need to make this world a better place. I can’t wait for the day that in each street corner, in each stop sign there is a group of people giving free hugs away. If this were to happen our world will be one very different from the one we have now. So let’s keep hugging, let’s keep spreading the love, let’s make this place a better and more loving place. Thank you Carol and thank you to all your wonderful friends at Positive Focus for making a great different in this world. Hugs and kisses free but full of love.

CAROLINE ~ Free Hugs is always a very special day for me. I wake up feeling exhilarated knowing that I am going to consciously spread love and positivity around my community. Before I even arrive to the hug site, I feel giddy and full of butterflies in anticipation of an amazing day. It is a glorious feeling to know that a simple smile and hug can brighten someone’s day! And let me tell you, it feels so good to receive smiles and hugs in return as well. There is an electric energy in the air. Everyone is so happy, so radiant, and so naturally uplifted…the energy is palpable. The best thing about Hug Day, however, is that there is no catch, which catches a lot of recipients by surprise. There is no underlying reason and no expectation…we are hugging because we genuinely want to spread joy and love. I feel blessed to be a part of such a powerful movement and hope that this is just the beginning of a collective shift in consciousness.

COLE ~ It was absolutely amazing, About 7 of us hit downtown, mostly around Millennium Park and Union Station. We brought sack lunches and gave them away to homeless people. We got some pretty crazy responses from being nearly tackled, to lifted up in the air, being caught off ledges, and being crushed by a mob of about 20 college kids who went nuts over it after refusing to hug us an hour earlier, and that doesn’t even come close to covering it. I will never be able to count the amount of Hugs we gave.  We ended up getting interviewed by some local TV station, it was kind of cool but he kept focusing on us and I was trying to get him to see the Global Picture and where it started but he wasn’t much into listening to what I had to say as much as trying to get me to say what he wanted to hear. Needless to say, I won. We spent from about 2-6 30 in Chicago and met some really cool people. A lot of people were very receptive to it, whereas others were freaked out by it. One older gentleman told me.” In large groups people didn’t want to, I think because of fear of others criticizing them, but once one person caved the entire group wanted to hug and go nuts over it. All in all an amazing time, and I plan on hugging in my area every month or so.  We all agreed it was one of the best experiences that we had ever had. Thanks for bringing us in on it!

DANYA ~ It was wonderful to give free hugs again!!! I forgot how great it felt to give and receive hugs. My son, who hasn’t been much of a cuddly guy, just recently started requesting, “Hugs!” and he is one of the best huggers in the world! He will be 2 years old on Thanksgiving and we love hugging each other many times every day. It was also interesting how many people were uncomfortable to receive a hug. Some asked why we would possibly give out free hugs. They thought we must be selling something or asking for votes. At least a few people who were uncomfortable giving and receiving a hug were able to crack a smile from the frown they were wearing. I know they felt better after a sincere smile! Many other people told me that this is exactly what the world needs more of…Free Hugs! I couldn’t agree more. Some people even told me, my hug made their day. How amazing is that? I feel so energized and revitalized after giving and receiving free hugs that I couldn’t recommend it enough.

GARY ~ Carol, thank you for making this possible for us, and for all the people we hugged today (or gave a smile too).

IRA ~ What a fabulous event! this is such an amazing way to reach out to the world and spread joy. it was so worthwhile to have so many people thank me and express gratitude towards how I helped to make their day brighter. FREE HUGS….on the house!

JACKIE ~ OMG!!! I do not know where to begin….My hugging experience was awesome! I was on a constant high the entire day/evening. The response from the crowd…astounding-definitely a great spot. Bicyclist, motorist, even baby buggies pulling to the curb and coming at us for a hug. It was almost sad in a oxymoronic sort of state ( I think you know what I mean). Thanks for the wonderfully fulfilling opportunity & keep on spreading the love…one hug at a time.

JUSTIN ~ Amazing. I think I know how Juan felt now…  ~ Justin

KIRSTEN ~ What an amazing experience! The ability to touch so many people - very powerful!

LAUREL ~ What a great experience! The response from the public was great. I’m super excited for the next one!!! 

NOAH ~ I’d like to thank all the huggers, Paul, Danya, Michelle, Sara, Barney, Lori, Judith, Liv, Gary, and June. Great job, team!  One of the things I always love about free hugs events is the miracles of joy and love that touch the heart. Here’s a few that happened yesterday during Global Free Hugs Day that I’d like to share. A wonderful woman had been watching the group hugging from the nearby Panera Bread, and she was so happy to see us she came by and gave all of us hugs and later brought us cookies from Panera. Such a kind gester and much thanks to her. The cookies were scrumptious! And I remember this man who had been so touched by the hugs that he was brought to tears by the experience. Tears of love and gratitude, and he told me that the whole world should be like this. Such a beautiful soul. And how a few times, cars stopped on Diversey and people ran out to the huggers, giving us great big hugs, and the people in the cars were all beaming and laughing with joy! Such a delight!  Also, June, a woman from the neighborhood, another blessed soul, enjoyed the hugs so much that she decided to join us on the spot.! And every time I participate in a hug event I’m always reminded of Jack Kornfield’s quote, “When we change the heart of one person, we change the heart of the world.” Hearts were changed yesterday, including my own, and I know that on a global level, many, many, many hearts were changed. The world truly is changing into a loving, peaceful, joyful place, one hug at a time!   

PAUL ~ Overall, it was great experience! Global free hugs falls in line with my personal spiritual path. It was opportunity to give to the world unconditionally. Specific moments I particularly enjoyed were the passengers from random cars stopping out to come to hug us or getting invitations to hug those in the cars. It was so much fun! I highly recommend this experience for everyone! Spread the love!!!!

ROSEMARY ~ It was the most amazing experience of love!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Ruben for inviting me to participate. It was great meeting everyone!