I have a secret to enjoying life, want to know what it is?
I revel in the tiniest of joys. I have a healthy obsession for awesome little moments, or as some refer to as micro-joys. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Cracking the top of crème brûlée with a teaspoon
- Finding the exact right size container for storing leftovers
- Leaving kind notes for strangers
One of the best representations of micro-joys I have ever seen is in one of my all-time favorite films, Amélie (also known as Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain). The film introduces all of the characters by the the tiny things they do and do not like, and it is charming. Click here to revel in Amélie’s tiny joys with a video clip (via Miramax).
The secret to micro-joys is that you are aware and tuned in enough to appreciate them around you. To find the joy, you have to simply be present and “smelling the roses,” even for just a moment.
So why does this matter? Because these things raise your positive or anabolic energy levels. When you are living with more anabolic energy you begin to live with more intention and possibility rather than being blocked by things happening “to you” or around you. It is that simple; find ways to raise your energy level.
Your assignment is to simply do this:
1) Make a list of your micro-joys – the tiny awesome things that get you jazzed!
2) Do/see/experience those things more, and with purpose.
If you are going out to dinner, for example, order the crème brûlée (calories be damned, we are searching for joy here!) and for the love of all things awesome, experience the joy that is cracking the top with a teaspoon. If you waste that moment, you might as well have just eaten a pudding cup on your couch.
Need some more inspiration? Try this book.
Go forward, and find the awesome!
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