Looks for Renewal While in a Rut
This post initially appeared in the Monday morning newsletter on 4/19/21.
I’m not sure what the weather is like where you are, but in Chicago, we are right in the middle of spring (except for the fact that it’s supposed to snow tomorrow?!), and I cannot get enough of the season.
I laughed at myself the other day when I realized my camera roll is completely filled with pictures of flowers blooming and trees budding. I just can’t help myself! I’ll be on a run or a walk, and whenever I see a colorful bed of flowers or previously bare tree filled with luscious leaves, I’ll feel the need to capture the moment. I’m awestruck by this season in a way that I haven’t been before.
I thought this fascination might be attributed to the fact that I missed spring in the city last year. Because of COVID-19, I left Chicago in mid-March, when it was very much still winter, and didn’t return to the city until the beginning of July, jumping right into summer. But then I read something last week that got me thinking about another reason for my affinity toward spring. Randomly, I came across the following passage from one of my favorite non-fiction books, Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. The author, Ingrid Fetell Lee, writes,
“Spring restores our consciousness of time, and even more so, of possibility. The thawing of the hard earth, the flowing of sap, the bursting open of millions of buds: as the slow land quickens, we feel the energy of new beginnings around us, and our attention turns to the future. We are reminded of what a thrill it is to know that joy is speeding toward us, and to stand awaiting it with open arms.”
Ingrid so eloquently puts into words why something like a single flower breaking through a crack in the sidewalk feels so exciting this year. It may sound cheesy, but to me, it’s a sign of the hope on the horizon. There’s still a long way to go, but this season is reminding me of the possibilities to come.
And while the mention of spring in the passage above is what initially piqued my interest, the second part of the passage ended up resonating with me even more. Ingrid continues,
“Finding happiness isn’t a matter of creating a perfect even-keeled experience of the world, where no sadness ever intrudes. Instead, it means riding the waves of joy, and trying to find our way back upward when we’ve been knocked down. In renewal we find a kind of resilience, an ability to bounce back from difficult by reigniting the optimism and hope that rises within us when we believe that joy will return.”
I didn’t realize how much I needed this reminder until I read it. To be completely honest, I’ve been feeling “off” lately. There’s nothing seriously wrong or any grievances to air, but I’ve just been in a but of a rut due to some stressors at work and a few things in my personal life that make me feel untethered. But I’m thankful that I came across this passage because it reminds me I’m OK. I’m riding a wave right now and I know I will make my way back up.
The above passages live in a chapter in Joyful called “Renewal,” and when I hear that word, my first thoughts are lavish vacations or some type of introspective experience à la Eat, Pray, Love. But if grandiose gestures like these are not possible right now, is it possible to still find a sense of renewal? What about something I could realistically do today, among all the stresses and messes of everyday life, to feel a bit more refreshed, renewed and optimistic that the joy will return?
Thinking about this, I was reminded of something I read in Laura Vanderkam’s book Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done (link to exact excerpt is below). She writes about the idea of a “daily vacation,” or where you intentionally plan to do something enjoyable each day. The actions don’t have to be big at all, but at least for those few minutes, you are fully present as you experience something pleasurable and renewing.
I tried this out yesterday and, to my surprise, it really did work. I was feeling stressed about the week ahead, but I still laced up my sneakers and headed out on my typical 3-mile running loop. As soon as I was outside, all I wanted to do was linger in the sunshine, continue jiving with this podcast guest and take in the sights of the skyline and the lake. I remembered this idea of a “daily vacation” and decided to just kept running for fun. I didn’t pay attention to my pace, I diverged from my typical path, and I let myself stop as many times as I wanted to take pictures of the sights of spring. The 3-mile run turned into 6.5-mile run, and I returned to my apartment feeling actually refreshed. Sure, my stressors were still waiting for me upon my return, but my mood was lifted and my Sunday was made significantly better. I felt hopeful.
And because of that, I’m making it my intention this week to have a “daily vacation” or “moment of renewal” each day this week. It might be as simple as just walking slowly on the short walk back from Starbucks with no distractions this morning or taking a few minutes to watch the sunrise, but among the ups-and-downs of this week, I’m determined to cultivate a few moments of lifting my spirit and making myself feel hopeful for what’s to come.
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