Hello hello!
I’m reporting live, having just consumed a matcha—which I must say gives me a feeling like no other. Call it positive memory association or the presence of L-theanine, an amino acid with lovely calming effects. Either way, I’m riding the matcha high. I’ve been drinking flat whites almost exclusively for the past week and coffee based drinks just don’t do it the same!
ANYWAY this is absolutely not what you came here for (maybe?) so I will tell you what this moment of pure joy is making me think of: how hard it is to feel and hold pure joy.
We all know the reasons, because we all experience them everyday. It’s a combo of the human condition, the news cycle, the social media experience.
To be able to be in a moment of joy, we usually have to step back from everything going on externally. This isn’t something we’re used to doing, it can feel counter-intuitive. But being alone with oneself is the beginning and end of our life cycle, it’s the most natural part of being a human.
So today is just a reminder that you should absolutely draw out the goodness of life. Experience it in the little corners, whether that’s little corners of chocolate or corners of silence on your 30 minute break. Some days it may feel like a balloon swelling in your chest and people will not understand, but the beautiful thing about joy is that it is personal. One’s joy doesn’t have to be qualified and contrary to the tenants of social media, you can keep the experience close to your heart as a sweet secret.
The more we are able to access these pockets, the more familiar they become. Like a couch that has sunken in all the right spots, just enough to support you but also envelope you.
Consider this a standing invitation to find the corners of joy in the everyday experience.
xx
James