Be it the way the summer breeze dances with the pages of your book, dreamy watercolour sunsets or the way a friend plucks a flying ant out of your hair without hesitation (an act of love), paying attention to the subtle but significant ways that joy can show up has the power to transform your life, enhancing your day-to-day happiness and overall well being.
Rejoicing in the gentle beauty of everyday existence helps you cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude for the simplest of pleasures, shifting your focus away from what’s lacking in your life to what’s there in glorious abundance.
If you’re in need of some inspiration, soak up this collection of magnificent mini things. From the smell of rain in the summer to the sound of wine cascading into a glass, these are a few of the modest pleasures that fill you with joie de vivre and charm your soul into a state of euphoria; the things that make you believe in the magic of living, if you slow down for long enough to savour them.
1. When they remember something important you said in passing
2. “This made me think of you”
3. A tight hug
4. Listening to you with curiosity when they ask how you are (top tier)
5. “I want you there!”
6. Comfortable silence with your pals
7. Turning their phone over on the table. It says they’re really here.
8. Getting a flying ant out of your hair without asking
9. Tearing off hunks of warm, freshly baked bread
10. Time to yourself
11. Fresh bed sheets
12. The sound of wine being poured
13. That first mouthful of dessert
14. Hearing the rain beating down on the window when you’re cosy indoors
15. Realising that a setback was actually your awakening
16. Swimming in the moonlight
17. Cloud-gazing
18. Someone messaging you, just as you were thinking about them
19. Your luggage being the first out on the baggage carousel – you are the chosen one
20. Finding money you didn’t know you had
21. Bank holidays that are actually *sunny*
22. Losing track of time
23. Putting your Out Of Office on before your holiday. The feeling is unmatched.
24. A song coming on the radio and taking you right back the time you first heard it
25. Walking in the rain on a summer’s day
26. “I appreciate you”
27. Dating yourself. Romanticise your life.
28. The first cup of coffee in the morning. Elite.
29. Wildflowers nodding in the wind
30. The way music sounds different in the heat of the summer
31. Indistinct chatter when you’re at the beach – children playing, bottles popping, cutlery on plates from nearby restaurants, waves lapping
32. The way the wind dances with the pages of a book
33. Overheard conversations, “Excuse me daddy, I love you” <3
34. The sweet honey tones of August’s golden hour light
35. Having no plans – because that IS a plan. Rest is productive.
36. “Have you had your lunch yet?”
37. A heartfelt thank you
38. Watching clothes drying on the line; the air perfumed with roses, the gentle breeze caressing the linen
39. Getting a car park space just as someone is leaving
40. The odd occasion when you’re trying to organise a night out with the girls and everyone just so happens to be free on the same day. Hallelujah. The stars have aligned, as has the jalapeño rose.
41. White Magnums in summer
42. Seeing a dog run through fields. Only their flapping ears are visible.
43. “Do you want me to do your back” SPF kindness – a love language
44. A ‘picky bits’ dinner
45. Going for a drive at sunset
46. “Just checking in” texts
47. Hearing the buzzing of bees, flying from flower to flower
48. Rising with the sun and starting your day gently
49. “Text me when you get home”
50. Rearranging your room. It’s like gardening for the mind.
