Delights
/I have a client who is filling a small notepad in her bag as a “book of delights.” She notes tiny moments of joy as she cares daily for her aging parents then hustles to get her sons to their baseball practices while juggling the pressures of a busy life. She read some of her delights to me and this one is so special: her parents cannot attend their grandson’s games right now, but on game day, they always wear his school’s spirit-wear as their way of supporting him from afar…and that delights her.
These pauses to reflect on moments of joy are her lifeline right now through the sadness and chaos of this life-stage.
Her notebook reminds her daily that joy and grief can exist at the same time.
If I were to ask you: what delights you? What would you list?
Go ahead a pause reading this for a moment so you can bring a few delights to mind.
In doing that, you just triggered a positive-neurotransmitter release in your brain simply by thinking of a few delightful things. Likely some oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins kicked into gear. Maybe you noticed a small smile arise. Maybe just a lighter feeling in your being. Maybe a shift in your mood.
The word delight comes from the latin word delectare which translates into delicious and delectable.
What delicious and delectable things do you notice today?
The etymology of the word has nothing to do with light, but in my mind I think of delight as of-light.
The more I am in delight, the more I am of light. I like to imagine a world where we are all walking around filled with light. It is easy to say the world should be more filled with light, but it starts with each of us knowing ‘it starts with me.’ Our mantra could be:
If I am in delight, I am of light.
So start a list in your notes app or a little book in your bag. If you are looking for delights, you will find delights.
What delights you about your people?
What delights you about your work?
What food feels like a delight?
What smell is delightful to you?
What activity delights you?
What would be delightful to learn about right now?
Where is a delightful place to go?
What small token of delight could you bring into your environment?
What clothes delight you?
What does your pet do that delights you?
Who delights you and why?
What signs of Spring delight you?
What delights you about yourself?
And if you want more inspiration to find delights all around you, please read Ross Gay’s Book of Delights.
Go seek delights this week. I predict your life will be more enjoyable if you do!
More delighted people makes for a world of light.
Being connected to you delights me.
With love,
