It started out as a simple idea that was sparked by Peter Mutabazi’s childhood experiences.

Today, Peter is a single foster day who’s fostered 14 kids and adopted 1. Along the way he realized that his kids thrived with words of affirmation, something he never received as a child from his own father, but later when a stranger took him in, was deeply impacted by kind words.

When Peter got his first dog, Simba, he decided to try something. He knew that sometimes his kids weren’t able to hear or accept his love. Sometimes, as a single dad who also balances a career, he needed to be reminded to share positive words with his kids. So he printed 12 phrases of affirmation on a bandana that he put on Simba. It worked!

When he wasn’t able to get through to his kids, Simba and the bandana could. Words of affirmation changed Peter’s life and now that he’d found a way to share them with his kids, he wanted others to experience the same thing. So he did something special.

Watch the video to see how he took his own life experiences and turned them into something powerful for others.

What are your favorite words of affirmation?

Davide Di Giorgio is a speaker, author, and advocate. His latest project, Now I Am Known is giving vulnerable kids and young people the opportunity to feel seen, heard, and loved. His TED talk, Overcoming Comparanoia® is fueling a mission to empower people, especially young people, to compare less, celebrate more, and to spread kindness to all.