The Joy Receipts
A weekly record of small wins, tiny magic, and proof that life was lovely.
I had a friend’s child over the other day, and we played with remote controlled cars outside. (Um… coolest thing ever, can they make them in cuter colors and advertise to girls, because I had a blast and how am I just discovering this as an adult.) In an effort to make life more whimsical and more 90s, I added a pineapple under the sea… literally SpongeBob’s house. And I told my friend’s kid to go look at it.
He ran back to me and said, “Where did the fish go.” I didn’t know how to respond without triggering him: would the child be sad that the fish died? I mean, I got sad.
After thinking for a bit I said, “They went to heaven.” I truly thought that that would solve it. What a pretty and hopeful way to discuss death.
Then he said, “Who is heaven?”
I laughed, because, oh yeah, he’s only 5. But then I thought, I couldn’t discuss heaven with him because if his parents haven’t… I wanted to be respectful of their beliefs, and plus I didn’t want to open that box with all the questions that might come after.
“We need to buy new ones,” I pivoted quickly.
“The rest of them died?” he said. I laughed again at his bluntness because here I was tiptoeing around that.
Goodness, happiness, joy, beauty could be found in the tiniest of places. This is how we romanticize life, how we remember we’re living the good times, now!
The Joy Receipts
So I’m introducing the Joy Receipts, which is essentially a weekly record of small wins, tiny magic, and proof that life was lovely. I’ll be doing this daily and sharing weekly, but I didn’t want to be flooding your inbox with it. (Unless, eventually, there’s a demand for that!)I’ve created a digital version for myself too, which I’ll eventually share with all of you.
Why do it? I think 1. it makes me feel joy, pride, and good, and 2. it makes me do something good for someone else, and 3. it challenges me to try something new or get out of my comfort zone.
Try it whenever you have time. It could be the tiniest thing to keep a record of; you can do them all or just one. Just remember it’s about remembering the good, and bringing joy into your life!
Here are the prompts:
ONE NICE THING I DID FOR SOMEONE: I cooked for them when they were busy.
ONE THING I DID OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE: I went to a new place in a new city, where I used to not feel comfortable going. It was easier than I thought! (New level unlocked!)
SOMETHING I’M PROUD OF: The new project I’m working on! It reminds me of all the times I’ve built things from scratch for bigger companies, and at that I feel pride too!
ONE THING I AM GRATEFUL FOR: My parents’ endless support.
ONE THING THAT BROUGHT ME JOY: Reading this poem that just blew my mind, it was so beautifully written that I went to go buy the book. I went to B&N and spent time looking through a bunch of magazines, then bought 2 new books!
TODAY’S WIN: Little social media, which meant more joy!
ONE THING THAT WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY/COOL/FUN/ MAGICAL: It’s almost too woo woo to share, but so beautiful and made me feel awe.
Okay, your turn! Tell me one or all of your Joy Receipts in the comments. Let’s cultivate more joy together.
Oh, I’ve included a worksheet I made on Canva in case you wanted to handwrite them for yourself! (Send a pic and add it to the comments if you do!)
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