If your Twitter feed is anything like Team Trophy Central’s, you might be feeling that bad news and stress keep seeping through, despite your best efforts to keep your feed full of positivity and kindness. It can be disheartening logging onto Twitter only to see that what’s trending is one disaster after another. Team Trophy Central believes that our social media efforts should make us feel better about the world, not worse. Which is why we make it a goal of ours to only put kindness and heartwarming stories into your feed. It’s also why we couldn’t help jumping for joy when we got a tweet nominating writer Brooke Preston for our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award.

Brooke Preston singlehandedly made Twitter a kinder, more thoughtful place to be on January 24th, which just so happened to be National Compliment Day. Her trophy-worthy generosity started with a simple tweet (complete with an adorable Amy Poehler Parks and Recreation gif!)

It’s National Compliment Day! Reply to this tweet if you need one today, and I’ll do my best.based on what I can glean from your Twitter account, to make it heartfelt. #NationalComplimentDay #LetsProcrastinateTogether pic.twitter.com/KHpf2VDgzH

— Brooke Preston (@bigu) January 24, 2020

Trending: Trophy-Worthy Kindness

What followed was a thread so thoughtful, kind and generous that Twitter truly did become a kinder place to be that day.

Some examples to make you smile:

Brooke told Bridget Eileen: I love that you are so politically involved and trying to make the world a better place! We need women like you!!

Brooke told Dana Koster: Any mama who still pursues her passions is a superhero in my book. Also your wedding photography is GORGEOUS.

To Victor Pang, who said a compliment would be nice after having a bad day, Brooke tweeted: I’m so sorry you’re having a bad day! Your writing always makes my day better!

But the kindness didn’t end there. Many Twitter users took it upon themselves to offer compliments to Brooke.

Amber Rollo told Brooke: This is such an awesome idea, it’s such a beautiful way to connect with people. You are making the internet a better place.

Emmy Potter told Brooke: You are a kind, funny, thoughtful queen/writer/mom/friend and I am so glad to know you!!!

Janine Annette said: I want to compliment YOU! You’re so funny and hard working and smart!

Brooke was moved by the results of her kindness: “This thread is having dual side benefits of both making me remember how many incredible, kind, creative people there are in this dumpster fire of a world, AND that I apparently get residual compliments. I may make this a habit.”

Team Trophy Central highly encourages you to read through the entire thread of kindness here. It is absolutely day-making.

Inspiring More Kindness

Which is why we just had to send Brooke one of our customized kindness trophies! Hers reads: The Completely Kind Compliments Award: For Spreading Joy One Thoughtful Tweet at a Time.

Congratulations, Brooke! And heartfelt thanks to writer (and former Random Acts of Trophy-ness #ShowUsYourSue winner Brijana Prooker for the spot-on nomination!)

When Team Trophy Central wrote to Brooke to tell her we would be sending her a shiny trophy, she said: “OMG I’m so honored. Good deeds come back to you, just usually not in the form of awesome trophies!!”

Her comment made us smile and warmed our hearts because it’s so true: Being kind to someone is not generally a singular act. Your kindness has the power to make someone’s day, which can in turn inspire them to be kind to someone else and make theirs.

If you can believe it, we are in our FIFTH year of sending out monthly trophies to people (and some animals!) who are making the world a better place by being themselves. Our goal in starting our Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” award was always to inspire more kindness.

When we came up with the idea of rewarding kindness and other inspiring acts of greatness with trophies five years ago, we had no idea what kindness it would inspire, only that we wanted to reward the Sue Hecks of the world.

In case you don’t know, Sue Heck is a fictional character on the sitcom The Middle. Sue Heck was awkwardness — and positivity, perseverance and gusto! — personified. Think of her as the person picked last in gym, the girl who tried out for every play, musical and sport and who rarely (if ever) was picked. Actually if it weren’t for “No-Cuts Cross Country” (the team where every student who wanted to join the team made the team) or Wrestlerettes (the group of misfit cheerleaders she assembled to root for the wrestling team) Sue may never have belonged to any group in high school.

But that didn’t stop her from trying out. Sue Heck never let defeat break her. She always, ALWAYS made lemons out of lemonade and always, ALWAYS inspired others with her scintillating nature and can-do attitude. Sue Heck is the kind of person who wouldn’t typically be recognized in traditional high school awards ceremonies. But she is EXACTLY the kind of person we want to give trophies to: Someone who makes the world smile and inspires others to never, EVER give up!!

As Brooke said upon hearing she was Trophy Central’s January trophy winner, “If I could have a job just doing this I would quit everything else immediately, it’s been such a joy!!”

Team Trophy Central feels the same way: If we could have a job that was exclusively sending out kindness trophies to make people smile, we would happily do it 24/7!

If you were inspired by the kindness in this blog, please help us pay the kindness forward by NOMINATING our next trophy winner! Just tell us how your nominee inspires you or how their kindness is making the world a better place! You can nominate the next Random Acts of Trophy-ness “Show Us Your Sue” winner in the comments section below or by tagging us on Twitter or Facebook using the #ShowUsYourSue hashtag. We can’t wait to have our hearts warmed by your nomination!