You had a delightful week. Now what?
I’m headed off to the Sacred Nature Retreat, the perfect figurative cherry on top of a week spent noticing and creating delight.
Some of my favorite moments, many of which I shared on Instagram, include:
Smelling the eucalyptus bundle I hung in my shower
Taking a break to water the garden with my almost four-year-old
Sharing root beer floats with a dear friend and our families
Listening to my wind chime and the local birdsong while I worked on the porch
Sitting in the backyard with twinkly lights one night rather than defaulting to TV
The endorphin high from a workout I didn’t want to do at first
Crawling into bed early with a cup of Rest & Relax tea to read the novel The Cloisters
Holding hands with my six-year-old while we looked at French Impressionist paintings, daydreaming about a trip to Giverny someday
The next step, after collecting examples, is to look for patterns.
Looking at mine, I’m struck by how available these little pleasures are.
I’m not surprised by how much nature, art, and my family show up. But I was a little surprised at how much friend time this extreme introvert enjoyed, and to notice that I was actually, truly, enjoying a workout.
What’s particularly notable for me is that two activities I often think of as draining (socializing, exercising) can be joyous – and are often worth the energy ding. And they aren’t always draining! Especially when I have my “delight goggles” on. In fact, last week, I found them energizing.
Your turn.
When you think back on what delighted you this week, what themes do you see? What reinforced what you already knew? What surprised you? What satisfied a deep longing?
Now, of course, the question is: how can you bring more of that into the week ahead?
If your list was anything like mine, most of what you delighted in is actually remarkably within reach.
It takes being present for the little things, perhaps opting for something different from the tired default. But it’s available. Today.
