hey, lemongrass stalk.

want a simple way to start claiming joy like it’s your job — EVEN WHEN it feels like the world is falling down around you?

try a presence pause

literally, wherever you are — take a moment to look around you + tune in to what’s there

notice the way the shadows of those tree branches dance on the ground when the breeze blows as you run that errand

look at the pretty mug on your desk as you work, hear the gentle laughter of children playing outside your window

when you’re on kid pick-up, sing the song playing on the radio like it was written just for you. smell the sweet doughy scent of baked goods + treats as you drive down main street

reach out + touch that super soft-looking pillow at the store as you head to the item you came there for

when i talk about claiming joy — sure, there are plenty of capital j JOYFUL moments to invite + allow

but the secret to a life filled with the kind of joy that easily sustains itself is to find it in the lowercase moments we’ve been taught to throw away or merely get through

think: journey vs. destination, but on a much smaller scale

to be clear: this isn’t about guilting yourself into appreciating moments that don’t actually matter to you

it’s about prioritizing a practice of pausing, noticing, and allowing yourself to appreciate what does

and all you need to do is look the eff around

you know… “stop, look and listen,” just like you’re a kid crossing the street

that awareness isn’t just meant to keep you safe. it can also keep you whole, happy, and so very well if you let it

a presence pause can connect you to past or future, too. noticing the mug on your desk might remind you of the person who gave it to you, or singing that song might reignite the dream you’ve been putting off, because reasons

presence doesn’t have to be fixed or rigid, an all-or-nothing endeavor

you can allow your presence to bring you into + out of time + space like the loveliest little carpet ride, knowing that you’ll always land smoothly right back here

now, this may all sound great — but especially at first, it can be tough to REMEMBER to do it!

want my fave tip for that?

stick it to something you already do regularly

it’s called habit stacking, and it helps you leverage what already works, so YOU have to work less!

brushing your teeth is usually a great place to start with habit stacking, since that’s one of the few things most folks do every day!

but for a noticing practice, you might find the confines of your bathroom a little uninspiring over the long term 🤣

so you can skip it for your presence practice, though it would be a GREAT time to repeat a claiming phrase AROUND being present, if you felt so inspired

here’s one to try (feel free to tweak it to your heart’s content!):

i am easefully present to the beauty all around me, and the joy that brings me is plenty

since i’m in the car a lot, i’ve used being in the car as the starting point for TWO of my fave presence practices:

singing in the car + stoplight snapshots

when a song comes on i love, i sing my sweet heart out. it’s incredibly grounding, connects me to the emotions of the song, allows me to use my voice + to play with it, and also happens to be an amazing antidote to road rage, btw

and every single stoplight i hit, rather than feel frustrated that they’re slowing me down, i look forward to the stops — noticing how pretty the stoplights look against the sky, against a backdrop of clouds or clear skies, hanging still or swaying in wind, framed by powerlines going this way + that

(when i can, i’ll grab a video of the singing or a pic of the skyline which, contrary to popular belief, can bring me further into the moment. i share both regularly on instagram)

these two practices are a way for me to literally weave joy, beauty, wonder + peace into my days, by tapping into what’s already there

what are some repetitive ore regularly-occuring tasks or experiences you have in your days?

how might you be able to juice them for more joy?

you know i’d love to hear all about it

xxoo, cc

🤔 feel like you could use a little help tapping into the joypoints all around you? let’s chat! book in your free possibilities call today

*here's an example of a "stoplight snapshot." this beauty is waiting for you at every next stoplight!*

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