Things of Beauty #2
The Joy Workout, artichoke flowers, & eating chocolate chips right out of the bag
The idea for these lists of small joyful things stems from an actual daily practice of mine. In the spring of 2020 I took a Wellness Counseling class.* The course was part of the same program that I got my masters degree from, but it hadn’t been offered when I was originally enrolled (perks of university employment = taking awesome classes through tuition remission).
An assignment in the class was to develop a personal wellness plan. One of the things I included in my plan was to take note of a “thing of beauty” each day. At the time I was noting them down in a paper planner. I now note them in the Day One app.
This daily practice looks pretty different from the things I share here. It’s usually something very small; a particularly pretty flower in someone’s yard, a cute dog being walked, a squirrel being squirrel-y and adorable, an out of the blue text from a friend. Quite often it’s a cute cat in someone’s window (like June 9 in the picture above).
These things don’t always stand out for me. Sometimes I really have to think about it at the end of the day. Honestly at times it’s that same cute cat, in that same apartment window for days in a row. When I first started this practice I thought that it shouldn’t be so hard. Maybe I should skip recording something at all on the days where I had to think really hard to conjure up something beautiful. Did that even count?
And then I realized that those hard to see the beauty but finding something tiny anyway days are actually the days that this practice matters most.
Sharing some things that felt particularly soul-nourishing recently (or maybe just made me smile):
🥰 Kelly McGonigal’s book The Upside of Stress is a huge favorite of mine (this TED talk is a good overview, if you’re curious). I haven’t followed her research on movement as much, but I LOVE this article and accompanying video: The Joy Workout (gift link).
👟 Running is generally my go-to for exercise, but I took some significant time off this winter and am finding it frustratingly difficult to get back into it. I found this episode of the Bod Almighty podcast really helpful. I especially liked the discussion about “exercise snacks” and the reminder that not everything has to be a full-blown marathon training run. (Side note: the joy workout linked above has been a delicious exercise snack for me).
🌺 Did you know artichokes made flowers? I did not. And am amazed.
🎵 I can’t get this song from The Head and the Heart out of my head: Virginia (Wind in the Night).
🍫 I recently listened to an interview with the author, Susan Cain. The interviewer knew that she liked dark chocolate and asked if she had any particular brands that she loved. She laughed and answered that more often than not she was just grabbing a few chocolate chips straight from the bag you buy at the grocery store. I didn’t think it was possible to relate more to Susan Cain than I did after reading Quiet, but apparently it was, as dark chocolate baking chips right out of the bag are my go-to as well. BUT, I was gifted these recently and so at least for a little while my dark chocolate snack has been upgraded (Is there anything better than chocolate and mint?):
What tiny things are bringing you joy this week? Leave a comment and let me know!
*It was pretty powerful to be in a class about wellness at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. I have no doubt that thinking so intentionally about well-being at such a pivotal moment informed how I’ve navigated the last 2+ years, including starting this project.