A Joy List

In an Enough! 2.0 Book Club discussion of adrienne maree brown’s Pleasure Activism, we considered what it would be like for joy not to be a reward or a destination — what you allow yourself after putting in a day’s work — but something to be experienced, recognised, and savoured in moments along the way.

I asked everyone to make a list of 5 things in a day that bring them joy. Examples were morning coffee, a home-cooked lunch, a naked-toddler hug, a view of the sea…

So here’s an experiment to encourage AND LEGITIMIZE joy. Write a list, on a table, of ten everyday things that bring you joy. Each day for the next two weeks, check off the things you do. Commit to noticing the joy in your life. Reward yourself for it with a neat little tick. See what happens.