There is a common misconception that life is all about the big moments, or rather it is only those that matter the most. We think that if this grand gesture happens we will feel happier, or that it will make us more successful, or that the more sizeable and significant something is equals better than. But why does something have to be immense in order to be meaningful? What if we aren’t experiencing moments like that, for whatever reason? Do we have to wait until life presents us with opportunities for the grandiose to feel fulfilled?
This is something we’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Perhaps it’s a symptom of recently adopting konmari practises at home and paying more attention to what brings us joy. The experience has really challenged our beliefs around what creates meaning in life and how we seek comfort. The intention of konmari is to better understand what sparks joy, and for us it turns out that to feel joy, the smaller the better. Gravitating towards the humblest of practises, objects and experiences, we have found a sense of solace: fresh white towels, clean bed linen, sunsets that look like paintings, a great word, a song.
We have also discovered that joy is a very different feeling to happiness. There are many things in life that can make us feel happy, but joy feels like it is soul deep. Joy feels like the core of who you are has been recharged, like you are shining as brightly as you can, like you are engaged in the world in the fullest way possible. Isn’t it incredible to think that we can have such a powerful experience of our humanness through moments and things that are seemingly so simple? Through the total opposite of what we are encouraged to believe demonstrates a meaningful life.
In so much as konmari is a very personal experience, we think that identifying small joys requires a bit of tailoring too. Finding the smallest of things in your own life that bring you comfort, things you know you can access all the time and that can be done easily.
If you haven’t had the chance to before, we encourage you to take a few minutes to consider what brings you joy. We are sure that when you start paying more attention to it you will find it is the smallest things that are most powerful for you too.
