What if I told you that the power of observation may be the secret you’ve been looking for to unlock the magic in your world? Through the profound and already-present quiet joy in your life, it could be! But what is quiet joy, and how can you find it?
What counts as “quiet joy”?
We already know that small things can have a big impact. Put simply, quiet joy is anything that is easily overlooked or often considered unimportant. Quiet joy is not about the big things or the active parts of our lives. It’s a passive observation of the things you’re already experiencing through your daily routine or the life that’s happening now.
You are worthy of soft pleasures in life and quiet joy, and you are already rich in the experiences that provide them. To help you make the most of that, we’ve gathered our six favorite tips for harnessing the power of observation without creating more obligation.
Our life-changing tips to find quiet joy every day
1. Fit gratitude into new spaces.
There are so many beautiful practices that center around gratitude in our lives, but when is the last time you scaled it down into the micro-moments of your day? Gratitude journaling is great, but what about gratitude notetaking, mood boarding or photography? Consider a practice that you can fit into any moment through the use of your phone, a journal or something else that you’ve always got at the tip of your fingers. You can use an app designed for it like Pinterest, or just the Notes app or photo albums on your phone to collect observations of gratitude you experience as you move through your daily life.
2. Let your intuition lead you toward magic.
You know, deep down, what helps you to see the wonder that exists in the world. Recognizing the implicit magic in the things that happen in your life is a skill you already have. Through conditioning, that skill becomes suppressed- you begin to recognize the magic in the expensive, novel or hallmark moments in life instead of all the places they reside. You may feel silly or a little bit ashamed by the joy of a sunset or the smell of a new book, but you shouldn’t! Trust those moments when you feel excited or enamoured by the ordinary moments in your life. Your intuition is showing you the everyday places the extraordinary is already present.
3. Re-write your self-talk about value.
You are not only valuable when you are performing to the expectations of yourself and others. Try practicing self-talk that’s observational for the magic that already exists in you. When you feel tempted to criticize yourself for a thought or feeling, try observing it. Instead of “I never get things right the first time”, you can try observing that you need a learning moment. Now you’ve made use of an experience that felt frustrating and the power of your observation can become a part of the narrative you have about yourself instead of just criticism.
4. Notice the mundane with intention.
The power of the extraordinary still exists in our everyday lives, but we stop noticing it as a product of our constant activity. Each day, try narrating a different mundane part of your day to yourself. This may feel silly at first but you can harness some of the magic you’ve forgotten to feel simply by noticing it. So today when you make your afternoon snack or you wash your face tonight, narrate the process to yourself and observe all the actions, small and simple, that are contributing to the ways you experience care in your life.
5. Choose one way to connect with your body every day.
Whether you’re spending a few minutes in meditation or choosing a more hands-on approach like exercise or orgasms, return to the power of your physical presence for a few minutes each day. Doing one activity every day that makes you feel empowered in your body creates joy in a multitude of ways. When you stop thinking about the way you think about your body, you can feel about it instead. Take a moment to feel your body however is best for you and soak up the joy that brings you.
6. Create something.
Creation is one of the most empowering yet overlooked soft pleasures in life. Did you make yourself lunch? You created that meal- from the idea of it to the sustenance it’s provided to your body. Have you worked with your hands lately? That’s creating, whether you knitted a sweater or rearranged your spice cabinet. Creativity is an expansive part of our lives and, when we marvel at the magic we can create (see what we did there?), your creative power unfolds before you.
The extraordinary power of your intuition is on your side
The soft pleasures are “a great pleasure in waiting”. You already recognize the power of pleasure and of the experiences of life. Through intuition and excitement, quiet joy exists in your life and is available to you through the energy you expend already. It costs nothing extra in time or effort when you tune into your intuition. The challenge in recognizing and accessing quiet joy is to sit with them and turn your observation toward the everyday experience of living. When you do, you will find the pleasure they bring has been there for you all along.
If you or someone you know is ready to unlock quiet joy in substance abuse recovery and beyond, Villa Kali Ma has a variety of programs available now. Get in touch today.
