JOYWhen my kids were preschoolers, I had what I believed was a brilliant idea. We were playing with glitter and I wondered aloud: “Do you think our poop would sparkle if we ate some?” The kids were equally as curious, so we each gobbled down a tablespoon of our chosen color in the name of science and art. Later that day, I enthusiastically shared our glitter experiment at preschool pickup... only to be met with horrified stares from other mommas. Apparently, I had completely overlooked the microplastics issue (and a dozen other objections they generously offered). Doh. Not my best parenting move.
But maybe it was the beginning of something else: my deep love of sprinkles (aka: shame-free glitter eating). Today, eating sprinkles is a form of resistance. It is a joyful act in an otherwise serious and perilous world. On a hectic morning packed with the daily news-bombardment of all-things-wrong in the world, lunch-packing, endless to-do lists, and attempting to get out of the door on time, I swirl some sprinkles into my coffee. In that moment, a feel a glitch in the matrix. I smile. I take a deep breath. And I take myself (and life) a little less seriously. Eating sprinkles is like microdosing joy. We recently returned to Costa Rica, and as I gleefully zigzagged the car around potholes and horses on the jungle-lined road after our flight, oohing and awing at every site, my daughter perked up from the back seat and announced:
“I think mom is having an anti-panic attack…she’s having a joy attack.” She wasn’t wrong. I was experiencing a macrodose of joy.
And it got me thinking—what if we were as deliberate in planning & prioritizing joy as we are in scheduling and choosing meetings, laundry, workouts, and drop-offs?
What if those planned doses of joy - big or small - made our lives that much better? And what if our joy was so contagious (as emotions tend to be) it catalyzed joy in someone else (and on and on)? Could we, as a collective, make our world a more joyful place?
I need it. You need it. Our world needs it. Grab a pen (and your family members):
List your Microjoys (tiny doses of delight you can sprinkle into a day):
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List your Macrojoys (those expansive, soul-filling experiences):
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______________________________________________________________________________________ Can you make a plan to add joy to tomorrow?
☐ Yes ☐ No If yes, pick something from your lists above and make a plan. Be specific. Execute. (And if your joy is the same as those in your family - bonus! do that!)
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______________________________________________________________________________________ After all, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.
And your life is worthy of joy! Wishing you loads of anti-panic attacks,
xxx,
Daniela P.S. In case you're wondering… No, we never did see sparkly poop. But I like to believe there's a hidden art gallery of glitter inside us, lighting up our guts for our cells’ endless entertainment.
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