Things that brought me joy this week

Published about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Hey friend,

I wanted to share that I’ve begun a new practice of keeping a list of the things that bring me joy each week.

Lately, I’ve been finding myself feeling scattered. Anxious. Disconnected from myself. Given where we are collectively, it can at times be difficult to feel like there is any good in this world. Because that’s what we’re constantly being served. Through the endless news cycle (cyclone?), social media, etc. we are seeing horror after horror. Heartbreak after heartbreak. Injustice after injustice.

It can be all consuming.

I’ve found that the moment we’re in requires a more conscious effort to look for and appreciate the good. We have to be more intentional about noticing it. Allowing ourselves to experience the little joys. We must make it a practice, a ritual.

So this new ritual of mine, making a list of my weekly joys, is my intentional way of seeing through the muck and mire and REMEMBERING: There is always good, beauty and joy to be found in the everydayness of life.

Now don’t get me wrong- I’m not for sticking our head in the sand. It’s important (and our responsibility) to be aware of what’s going on in our communities, in our world. We must do whatever we can, with our own unique gifts, to try to make the world a better place.

But being constantly inundated by the minute-by-minute coverage of what our circus of an administration is (and isn’t) doing can be debilitating. It can lead to hopelessness and apathy and that sure as hell isn’t good for anyone.

So it’s important to keep our bodies, our minds, and our psyches healthy. Always.

And especially right now.

With all that said (I got a bit long winded there), here are the things that brought me joy this week:

My new hummingbird feeder (a gift from my mom) attracting its first visitors.

Morning coffee under the willow tree, listening to the birds.

A quiet evening on the back porch, watching the first fireflies emerge.

Sitting under the cover of the side porch during a thunderstorm (I love thunderstorms, btw)

Watching from the kitchen window as Patrick threw the lacrosse ball around while Stella rolled in the grass, sunning herself.

Taking time to remember and create this list of joys and delights.

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To keep myself accountable (and perhaps inspire you to do the same), I’ll be sharing my list of joys with you weekly. I’ll also share my “other joys”- book, podcast, movie, etc recommendations that have brought me joy and are helping me to stay connected to myself.

If you feel inspired to do so, I’d love for you to hit reply and share some of your joys with me as well as any recommendations you have!

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Have a beautifully joyful weekend.

🤍 Courtney


​Other Joys:​
Have you heard of the Merlin Bird ID app? This completely free app was developed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology to help you identify birds you see and hear, using the world’s largest database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos. You can upload a photo or record a bird singing and it’ll tell you which type of bird it is! I remembered I had downloaded it while I was outside sipping my morning coffee, wondering what type of birds were singing in the trees. Here are some members of this morning’s chorus:

Inside each newsletter, I'll be sharing how I practically (and imperfectly) fit self-care into my real life. Like you, I don't always get it "right" (whatever that means) and I'm learning how to release the perfectionism and guilt along the way. My intention is that these newsletters give you gentle encouragement to stay rooted in your body, your values, and your vision- no matter what life throws at you.