Hidden Joy

In a recent email update from Stitch who are one of Inspirations’ valued advertisers, the store’s owner Tessa, confessed that ‘Lockdown Lethargy’ had descended on some of her customers.

The Sydney lockdown had just been extended which would directly affect not only Stitch but also many of its local customers and Tessa declared, ‘We are tired and we are over it!’ She recognised that the initial motivation that saw many tidying their cupboards, starting new projects or completing old ones, walking, cooking and gardening was now harder come by.

Tessa reminded us that it’s important to soothe our souls through such challenging times and one of the remedies she suggested was taking the time to not only take a walk, but to appreciate what we’re walking past.

Instantly we recalled a TED Talk from Ingrid Fetell Lee entitled ‘Where Joy Hides and How to Find It’.

Although sometimes used interchangeably with happiness and positivity, joy is most aptly described as an intense momentary experience of positive emotion.

Whilst happiness is measured over time, joy is felt in the moment.

Ingrid unpacked the idea that there is a direct relationship between the physical world and joy and as such the world around us can become a powerful resource in creating healthier, happier lives.

Upon embarking on a quest to understand joy, Ingrid asked multitudes of people where joy comes from and compiled a list of things that are considered universally joyful. Think bubbles, cherry blossoms, fireworks, hot air balloons, ice cream cones with sprinkles, rainbows, swimming pools and tree houses.

From this list, Ingrid went on to define the common elements of the items listed – pattern, pops of bright colour, round things, symmetrical shapes, a sense of abundance and multiplicity, feelings of lightness and elevation were among the commonalities she noticed.

In the wake of her discovery, Ingrid observed something as she walked around – she began spotting little moments of joy everywhere she went! From a vintage yellow car through to a clever piece of street art, she was now noticing moments of joy that had previously been hidden in plain sight.

That got us wondering how often we walk right past moments of joy without ever noticing they’re there. And so, we’ve decided to take the lead of both Tessa and Ingrid as we take the time to appreciate what we’re walking past and become conscious of the small moments of joy that surround us.

Borrowing from the words of Ingrid, we can’t wait to see these small moments of joy add up to more than the sum of their parts over time.