When was the last time you felt that deep belly thrill? Allowed a moment of surprise to radiate through your veins, reflexively bringing a smile to your lips?
The tingle of delight has been on my mind.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend was away in a different state and then - suddenly! - he was standing in front of me, in Brooklyn. Pure delight flowed through me as we spent an unexpected evening barbecuing and playing games and simply enjoying the spontaneity of friendship.
Yesterday evening, I listed something for sale in my Noihsaf shop and this morning, it was already sold! Genuine delight as I packed it up with a sweet little note and shipped it off to its happy new owner.
These moments are just two of the many I experience daily. They are fun! They are uncomplicated! They make me smile! and sometimes laugh! and fill my belly with a joyful dance!
I set myself for as many of these moments as life will allow, and have found that, the more I let go of control, the more often they appear.
With so much anxiety circling our world these days, there’s a certain comfort in creating a plan and sticking to it, in controlling as much of our lives as we can muster. I get it. When things feel like they’re spiraling - people getting killed on the subway, the climate in crisis, economic woes, an incredibly flawed political system - it feels safe to control what we can in the little bubble of our personal universe.
And I think we deserve more than a tight grasp of faux control.
Let’s loosen that stiff grip a little. Let’s surrender, slowly and steadily. Let’s create little cracks so delight can seep through and brighten our days.
I know it’s easier to read it all here than to put it into practice. Maybe you’re hearing me say - Let’s all just be happy!! Yes, I want us all to feel lighter and softer, and also I know the world is hard and I, as much as anyone, am constantly resisting the pains of being human. And I think that, as hard as it can be, we can make space for the tough stuff of life while also opening up to find the beauty while we’re here, now.
May we soften our grip and find the delight we all deserve.
I’m welcoming a little more brightness and fun into my life!! And feeling okay when it’s not perfect and doesn’t match quite right!
Today I share a look into how I loosen my grip on perfection and find delight in everyday life, even through the tough stuff.
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