01.13.21 — I started sending a weekly email eight weeks ago now. I didn't put much thought into why I was doing it. It was just something I wanted to do.
I make a list of five things that made me happy that week and I email it to anyone who wants to read it. These five things could be anything — updates on my book, productivity hacks, weird news, tech tools, art & design stuff, Netflix & podcast recs. I have so much fun writing it.
On a recent hike with the dogs through Frick, I hit play on an episode of This American Life called The Show of Delights.
During the podcast intro, I was introduced to Ross Gay. Ross wrote a book where he keeps track of all of the things that delight him. It's called The Book of Delights. In the book, Gay says:
It's a negligence if people don't take the time to honor the things that they take delight in, but more importantly, that they share the things that they take delight in. And if you don't do that, there's a loss there. You have to do it to achieve humanity. You have to share delight.
It hit me. Making other people happy makes me happy. If I share the things that bring me delight, maybe they’ll do the same for others.
This is how my weekly email, Chirps, was born. I was trying to share happiness. I was trying to share the things that delight me.
Another thing that makes me happy is creating.
A weekly email gives me something to be working on all the time. A constant creative outlet. I'm always on the lookout for things to include. I'm more aware of the things I'm texting to friends.
”Why did I send that to Lauren?” It's usually to get a laugh.
My website experiments fall into this category as well.
When I need to tinker, I have tools to pick up. The email and website can be perpetual works in progress. They can be things that never have to be perfect. I like that.
The moral of the story. Do things that make you happy and share them with others.
Have something that delights you? Share it with me!