Making Room For Delight

If I were to ask you, what delights you? What comes to mind? Do you immediately think of life's heaviness and your to-do list? Do you go blank? It was a question posed on a podcast I was listening to recently, and I was shocked that I couldn’t answer it immediately.

I believe delight and rest are intertwined. It is hard to rest if you are unable to find things in life that genuinely delight you. Delight goes deeper than just happiness; it's soul-deep. It's deeper than circumstances; it's something you feel in a moment despite what is going on around you.   

Have you ever watched a toddler or child when they find something that genuinely delights them? So often it’s not some big event; it’s a bubble floating past, blowing raspberries, or a game of peekaboo. Their whole face lights up; they belly-laugh, and people smile along with them. Delight is contagious. 

It is really hard to delight in the small things if you don’t stop long enough to notice them. In today's hustle culture, where we are rewarded for being busy and running to the point of exhaustion is considered normal, slowing down is not encouraged. There is a perception that taking time out to rest is selfish, and stopping is lazy. To truly delight, we have to be looking for opportunities to notice the unexpected. We need to be able to stop long enough to see the beauty around us. We need time to engage all of our senses and take in our surroundings with true wonder.

Back to the question of what delights me. It took me longer than it should have to find an answer, and I realised that there are many things. Sometimes I just need a reminder of how to find them. If you also need the reminder, here are a few tips;

Slow Down

Try not treating every moment of every day as an emergency. Where is the fire? Between being constantly available on our phones and rushing from one thing to the next, even our morning coffee becomes just one more thing to tick off the list. Try just savouring the moment. Start with the coffee and enjoy it. Don't rush it. 

Make a List

List the things you find delight in. If you are struggling to remember the last time you truly felt delighted, start writing them down in a journal. Write down some activities that bring you true joy and try to add to it often. Refer to it if you need the reminder.

Create a Habit

Set yourself a goal to find one thing, or engage in one activity every day that truly brings delight. 

Look For the Unexpected

Keep an eye open for the unexpected. Delight can be defined as a mixture of surprise and joy. Look out for things that catch you by surprise: a butterfly, a beautiful flower, a chance to encourage someone. Look for it where you least expect it.

If you can find ways to find delight in your life, I promise that you will also be implementing habits that encourage intentional rest. Stopping, savouring the moment, looking for beauty, slowing down. These are all small intentional habits that create big change.