Friends of mine know I’ve been wrestling with joy for a while now.
It’s just not how I grew up—we were in the business of surviving, not thriving. And though I was always drawn to lovely and whimsical things, few grownups had time for my sense of wonder.
It made me feel like these delights were worthless. And maybe I was worthless, too, for loving them as I did.
It’s nobody’s fault; we were living through hard times. When the roof is in danger of falling in, you hold up the roof—you don’t design a butterfly mosaic to decorate it. We were roof holders, we covered the basics.
But still, I wanted butterflies.
About a year ago I read a post that rattled me, and explained so much.
I decided I would spend a month doing something playful and fun every day. And in the process, I learned more about what I think is fun, because everyone has their own definition.
Ever since then I try to incorporate something good, pleasurable, fun, or joyful into my day. I call it the good stuff and I have a line for it on my schedule. I don’t always make it, honestly, but most days I do. And it causes me to seek out fun and pleasure in ways I never did before.
This site, this newsletter, is that practice of daily joy—cultivating it, finding it, celebrating it, keeping record of it.
When you start, you may not know what brings you that burst of pleasure. The cultural messaging we get mostly revolves around buying things and taking hot baths (also, wine). But I’m after a deeper sort of wonder. The sort that long predates retail therapy. The sort of joy that feeds and sustains.
I can’t tell you what that looks like for you, you have to try it yourself. But I can share what I’ve learned—what I continue to learn—and the writers, artists, poets, and deep thinkers who have helped me along my path. This newsletter will be a mixture of my moments, and the lessons and resources I’ve found useful.
I’ve learned that anything challenging is easier when done in community. So, I hope you use this space as a commons (or a clubhouse!)—you can leave notes about what you are finding delightful and fun in the comments; we can crowdsource and learn from each other. Joy is almost always magnified when shared
To receive all posts and benefits requires a paid subscription. I like to think of it as an investment in delight. I’ve set the subscription rate as low as possible ($5 a month/$50 a year)—and arranged for a group discount, so you can get two (or more) subscriptions for the price of one. You can split the cost with a friend, or gift the second subscription to someone who might enjoy it. Because sharing really does magnify pleasure.
There is much more to say, but I’ll save it for the posts. I’m looking forward to this journey, I hope you’ll follow along. Imagine where we all might be this time next year—pleasure skills honed, a year of sparkling moments behind us, a clearer idea of what brings us delight, looking forward to so much more.
I feel happy just thinking about it.
Welcome to enJOY. I hope you’ll join in. There is so much good stuff to be found.
—Tara
Nice to *meet* you, Tara! (Any friend of Emily is a friend of mine 😇). I not only practice daily joy, I make it a point to *find* joy in even the smallest things, and share it by scattering its seeds everywhere - sowing, nurturing, cultivating, celebrating. That’s the sort of joy that feeds and sustains me, and I find it through my faith. It's my way of living in this earthly chaos - intentional joy as a spiritual practice. It’s like planting mini sanctuaries of light in a weary world.