50-ish days of delight
At the end of last year, I declared “delight” to be my word for 2017—a year I am dedicating to connecting more with myself. To keep myself focused, I have been chronicling a delight a day on Instagram.
It’s been 50 or so days since I started my #365daysofdelight project. Although it’s too early to see a particular trend or direction, the simple act of documenting my delights every day has revealed plenty of lessons.
Here’s what I have learned so far (in no particular order) …
Dig deep. Some days the delight is obvious and other days I need to look a little harder for it.
Pay attention. Sometimes I know a delight when I see it. Other times, I know when I feel it. And some delights are subtle. Those are often the most delightful.
This is a marathon. Committing to 365 days of anything is a daunting thought and task. I just focus on the current day and not the 300+ days I have left.
Good is good enough. Posting daily delights on my blog required some new skills that tested my ability to be flexible and patient. I had to let go of perfection.
Abundance abounds. Most days, there are many things that delight me.
Go with it. Most of my delights so far have limited subject matter. Winter weather and illness has kept me closer to home. This tracks with my intention to “go inside” and to embrace this transitional phase. I’m OK with that. This project isn’t about anyone but me.
Don’t judge. I’ve been surprised at some of the things that have delighted me. Some are pretty, some are sweet, some are silly, and some are odd. I don’t second guess whether the object is worthy of being a delight. I just relish it.
Practice gratitude. Posting a daily delight has become a way for me to show gratitude for life’s goodness.
Do it anyway. There are days when I don’t feel like posting but I make myself do it. I’m always glad I did.
Not all delights are entirely delightful. I thought the day Todd and I went snowshoeing was going to be an epic delight. It was not. However, being out in the fresh air and nature was delight enough.
Halo effect. Sometimes the delight isn’t the immediate subject (person, place, or thing) that has captured my attention but that it reminds me of a forgotten delight. Likewise, on those rare days when nothing delights me, remembering a previous delight brings the little bit of joy that makes my day.
It’s a choice. There are days when I can just as easily identify things that don’t delight me, like when McKenna ripped her brand-new jacket on some barbed wire. Rather than focus on life’s annoyances (although, admittedly, I stewed on that one awhile), I choose to turn my attention to things that bring a smile to my face and my heart.
The bottom line: Delights are everywhere, if you choose to see them.
