A few weeks ago, I read a newsletter from Danielle Laporte.
In it, she talks about joy as an act of defiance. (I love contradictory statements like these.)
She wrote and told me to “TAKE MY JOY.” She said, “Do it. The darkness feeds on fear, doubt and lack-thinking. Joy dispels that darkness.”
The joy she (and I) is talking about here is not the collective encouragement for positive thinking, for “good vibes lang.” Rather it is choosing to take your joy and noticing (and making) those little pockets, those little moments everyday.
And on her blog, author Cheryl Richardson reminded me: “You are a soul. The mind is your servant. Your primary job during this stressful time is to do what’s necessary to return to a calm, clear, and helpful state of mind.”
So here’s a list of things that have kept me calm, clear and joyful while quarantining at home (and preparing for life beyond its four walls):
- Work from home tips from Ella Lama
- These face masks
- This workout app for offering me both options and challenge
- This knitting pattern (unfortunately, I ran out of yarn a third of the way through)
- The beautiful stories on this Instagram account
- This little gift of a (virtual) retreat
- “I hope you find the kind of love that makes you a softer person. The kind of love that makes you want to be a better man or woman, the kind of love that believes in you and supports you, that stands by your side. I hope you find someone who quickly becomes your favourite thing — someone who makes the fall less fearful, someone you can’t help but choose every single day.”
- Discovering my creative type (I’m an ADVENTURER—what creative type are you? I would love to know!)
- Being able to read author Samantha Sotto’s next book before it gets released—watch her Instagram account for more release details
- What joy means when there’s nothing to look forward to
- 50 fun things to do when you’re bored
- And a bonus for you because I’m awesome that way: The joy of… (New York Times)
