Daily Delights
An invitation to practice daily delighting with me
To choose delight is a revolutionary act. -Ross Gay
“Where attention goes, energy flows.” —James Redfield
I have no doubt that everything depends on where we place our attention.
What would happen if you intentionally shift your focus toward delight. Or toward more delight?
This can be as simple as stopping long enough to really look at a flower, or noticing a dew drop at the tip of a branch, or a beautifully kind interaction with another, or really tasting that first sip of coffee…ordinary every day things that you might not notice when you’re busily running from this thing to that thing, or when you’re stuck inside the muck of your own mind, spinning in doom and gloom, drowning in heaviness…
Consider this your invitation to open your eyes wide, to be on a daily treasure hunt for delight, and then to come here and share that delight so that we can all be showered in each other’s deliciousness.
It will be like bathing in light, like a downpour of shared joy so that we have more of the good stuff to sprinkle around.
In the midst of so much trauma & terror, it is vital to bow to such holy, ordinary things…
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of delight is:
NOUN:
1 : a high degree of gratification or pleasure : joy, children squealing in delight
also : extreme satisfaction. Seems to take delight in the misfortunes of others
2 : something that gives great pleasure. Her performance was a delight
3: archaic : the power of affording pleasure, of more delight than hawks or horses be—Shakespeare
VERB:
1 : to take great pleasure: delighted in playing the guitar
2 : to give keen enjoyment, a book certain to delight
Delight is the counterbalance to the weight of the world. -Ross Gay
Suggested Guidelines:
Throughout your day, be on a treasure hunt for delight.
Pay close attention to what moves you (to laughter or to tears), opens you, gives you goosebumps, lights you up, makes you smile.
Then, grab a notebook & a free-flowing pen, scan your day for your highlight delights, set a timer for 3 minutes and, as quickly as you can, in writing practice form, jot down those highlight delight(s).
No trying to be “good.” No trying to impress. No overthinking. No editing (a few small tweaks when you are sharing here to correct spelling, etc…), but generally, let this be quick, easy, fun & unedited…
Delight Write “Rules”
(As created, with some of my own tweaks, by one of my greatest teachers Natalie Goldberg)
Give yourself permission to write the worst junk in the world (this is the most important one!). Writing practice is very much not about trying to be "good," it is about opening the door and allowing space for your insides to speak (without any pressure, agenda, or expectations). It is simply saying what is true, what is true, what is true.
Keep your hand moving. No stopping to edit (no crossing out, no re-reading, no attention to spelling/grammar). The reason for this fast writing is to outrun the editor who really wants to be in control. Give yourself full permission to lose control!
Go for the jugular. If there is energy there, dive straight into it.
Enjoy! Play. Have fun.Then type them in the comments below this post.
The world is indeed weighty, let us spread some goodness around. It really is a revolutionary act.
Delight is contagious; it spreads joy to all those who witness it. - Ross Gay
11/27/24
It was a simple moment, the postman and I standing on the sidewalk of Snowberry Place, he telling me about his hard day, me telling him about mine. Me toos and nodding, laughter, shakes of the head too. Life is hard: "Stay inside," he jokingly suggested. I see you, we were saying with so few words. Kindness matters, we were saying. I care. Here, let me take the package from you. How much lighter I felt walking away. The hard world, for a moment, not so hard.
12/9/24
A brand new candle lit with a match, a cup of hot Moroccan mint tea on a cold, foggy, almost-winter day, notebook, pen, words, warmth - these simple delights might be the very best delights of all. Dropping inside myself to find just the right word. Oh, and the old couple at the restaurant (who had been married for over 40 years) laughing, holding each other and looking madly in love was just so - everything. This life I have created is a good one