M. Teresa Lawrence promotes kindness campaign, butterfly gathering and new mental health project

M. Teresa Lawrence, founder of The Trueness Project in Wyoming, is using butterfly-themed events, books and a new app concept to push kindness, leadership and mental health support. The interview aired on Close Up Radio on Nov. 2 as Lawrence promoted a global kindness drive, the next Grand Butterfly Gathering and her nonprofit work in Kenya and Nepal.

Why it matters: - Lawrence is tying together kindness, leadership, mental health and girls’ education through The Trueness Project, a Wyoming nonprofit with programs in Kenya and Nepal. - Her current push aims to turn individual acts of kindness into a global campaign with a Guinness World Records target. - The work also reaches beyond symbolism. The nonprofit says it donates books and supports menstrual health for girls who may otherwise miss school.

What happened: - Close Up Radio featured M. Teresa Lawrence, founder of The Trueness Project, in an interview with Jim Masters on Monday, Nov. 2 at 9 a.m. Eastern. - Lawrence is serving as an official ambassador of kindness and happiness for Pásalo Pa’lante, a global campaign run by Te Amo PR, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. - The campaign is asking people to log one billion acts of kindness worldwide between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31 at Pass Kindness Forward. - Lawrence is also touring to promote the campaign.

The details: - Lawrence said she dresses as a butterfly for meetings and public appearances, including with heads of state. - She says the butterfly theme supports the idea that one act of kindness can affect people far beyond the original action. - The Grand Butterfly Gathering takes place on the last Saturday in June in Jackson, Wyoming, with virtual participation from around the world. - This year, participants from 100 countries joined online, including annual participation from Kenya and Nepal. - The 2026 event introduced the Worldwide Canine Flutter, adding dogs in wings and, in Jackson, horses in wings too. - The in-person gathering runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and includes a butterfly pavilion and a magician. - Last year’s rain forced guests to carry live butterflies by hand to the trees. - The next Grand Butterfly Gathering is set for June 26, 2027. - Lawrence said she invited Guinness World Records to Jackson two years in a row and learned the rules are strict. - She said participants must wear long underwear and antennas. - No record has been achieved yet, but the event has continued every year. - The gathering also asks participants to pray for peace. - Lawrence said her legal career began after she chose law school over journalism school because she wanted to learn how to shape a winning story. - She built a practice around special needs trusts for disabled children. - After COVID and the deaths of her mother and other loved ones, she wrote out her own dreams. - That led to “Gloriousness,” a children’s book for ages 3 to 7 about owning your story. - She later wrote “The Power of Leadership with M. Teresa Lawrence” for adults. - Lawrence co-authored the Wings series for the nonprofit, and one title became an international bestseller in nine countries. - Her newest book, “Wings of Purpose,” was recently released. - She also helped Prairie Girls School in Kenya produce “Leaning Forward.” - The Trueness Project supports girls’ menstrual health in Kenya, where Lawrence says girls without pads often leave school and do not return. - Lawrence is a Cuban refugee whose family left with nothing and who was sent to live with strangers as a child. - She said that experience shaped a belief that limited her for years, and that she later rewrote that story for herself. - Her next project, Beyond the Darkness, is a mental health initiative centered on a free app for broad access to support. - Lawrence expects AI-related job losses to increase mental health strain worldwide. - She said joy and play should be part of the response. - Lawrence also works with world leaders to protect butterfly sanctuaries. - She tells audiences that butterflies and bees helped bring the food on their plates. - Her 10-minute exercise for readers is to enter each room curious about the story behind each person there. - The Trueness Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Daniel, Wyoming, with the tagline “Inspiring Authenticity Through the Leadership of Play.” - The organization donates books, supports girls’ menstrual health, and hosts The Grand Butterfly Gathering each June in Jackson. - Lawrence is a former attorney, author and the sole author of “Gloriousness.” - She speaks widely on kindness and leadership. - More information is available at The Trueness Project, Butterfly March, Pass Kindness Forward, and M. Teresa Lawrence books.

Between the lines: - Lawrence’s butterfly imagery is not just branding. It connects her public message to a broader theory of ripple effects, where one person’s action can change another person’s behavior. - The article blends advocacy, authorship and performance to build attention around causes that are otherwise difficult to market, including girls’ menstrual health and mental health support. - Her emphasis on curiosity and personal storytelling fits the same theme. The message is that identity can be rewritten, and that leadership starts with how people see themselves.

What's next: - The kindness campaign continues through Jan. 31, with the Guinness World Records goal still the public benchmark. - The next Grand Butterfly Gathering is scheduled for June 26, 2027. - Lawrence plans to develop Beyond the Darkness and its free app as the mental health component of her work grows. - The Trueness Project is likely to keep pairing book donations, girls’ health support and butterfly-themed events as its main platform.

The bottom line: - Lawrence is using a highly visual brand to connect activism, storytelling and global participation around one message: kindness can be organized, measured and spread.