I love reading this and am now realizing that I learned about this practice from Karen Davis this past year without understanding from whom she had gotten it! It was the inspiration for my #beautyoftheday project which I have been doing since then - I photograph one beautiful thing a day (in nature usually) and post it on social media to share with others. The comments and response from my friends has been lovely and nourishing and it seems that others are also deeply nourished by beauty. I'm eager to see where this process takes me this year. I'm not good at writing things in journals, but it does feel like it's evolving. Thanks for a great inspiration that is now touching many of the lives in my orbit.
I'm sure you referenced her too....you're right, I didn't know her, so there was no context for me. Now there is! thanks for your support around it. It brings me peace and joy.
I love hearing all this! May the One Beautiful Thing a Day practice ripple outward, wider and wider, to enrich more and more lives! Thank you so much for spreading it, Karen and Susi. (I should've trademarked it ... ha!)
P.S. I didn't realize, until reading this exchange between you two, that I also wrote about it last year. (Just found the earlier post in my archive.) Ha! I had totally forgotten.
Your One Beautiful Thing habit is a keeper! There is so much beauty in the subtleties that surround us. One day the gentle hand movement of an older native American woman who was waiting for the bus caught my attention and still gives me happiness when I recall how much a part of her, her beautiful grace was.
Over time I have found some success with New Years resolutions. I mostly treat them like learning to stay focused in meditation. When you fall off the wagon, you just bring yourself back to the task at hand. Walking meditations were especially helpful in watching where my mind wandered. With resolutions I set things that will be helpful and don't beat myself up if I slip up. Recent years included cleaning out one drawer or shelf a week. This has stuck with me, and I am very glad for it! Last year I tried to avoid eating after 5pm. This is a challenge! But I have steadily lost a little weight with it and I do feel better for that. I am thinking about adding a little walking to this year. I rise early to put feed out for birds and I am thinking of adding a few turns around the house and yard before I go back inside. Not much, but even a little bit is a start to being more active and looking for Beautiful Things!
Oh, Sandy, I love all that. Good ideas! Thank you for sharing them. Your resolutions sound do-able and reasonable. I'm working on that no-night-eating thing, too. Jeez, it's hard! Your early morning ritual sounds lovely, and adding some walking to that would be perfect. Happy New Year to you!
Thank you. I love the representation of Janus. The image will help me walk through the door. You might like Ross Gay’s “Book of Delights” though I find his search a bit too active. Like you I prefer it when the just come upon you like the New Year’s wish just received from a former student in Hong Kong who found a teaching position in Taiwan. Two in one.
My online book club is reading Gay's A Book of (More) delights currently. Lots of inspiration there, though I appreciate your description of his search being "a bit too active!"
Thank you Jeanne. That’s a very kind way to put it. 2023 was brutal. But not just for me. Let’s hope 2024 becomes known as the “year brutality ended and gentility spread”.
Thank you, Irwin - good to hear from you! I need to check out Ross Gay's book. Happy New Year to you! I hope 2024 will be gentler to you than 2023 was.
Oh gosh, I love this. It’s the seemingly mundane moments that are the most magnificent. I heard an unfamiliar bird call yesterday and looked up to a flock flying past me overhead. They had red bellies. Robins? And then, an isolated cloud quickly floated by . All this happened within seconds. Glorious. It’s right here, now. Thank you! ❤️
You are so welcome, Cathy! It feels very joyful to see how this is resonating with so many people. Evidently we all need this kind of practice, living in a world that often pulls us in the other direction. Happy 2024 to you!
This seems like a wonderful thing to do. I’m not nearly disciplined enough to plan it for everyday, but I’ll keep it mind to do as often as I can. I got a little notebook last year to write gratitudes in and wrote one. Pitiful. I’ll try to use it for both now. Happy New Year!
I'd say, tweak the idea in whatever way you want/need to, so that's workable for you. Sounds like that little notebook is still waiting for you, with lots of blank pages to fill. Have fun! And Happy New Year to you too, Debbie.
Love this! I’ve been finding joy & magic in the mundane for years now, but I’ve failed to write it down. That changes in 2024! I’m starting something similar this year, more details to come...
I'm new to this space and am feeling so grateful to find it via Janisse's Substack workshop! I'm a bit of a journal collector. I use them so much that I buy nice ones whenever I find them on sale. I had a handful of Moleskin "Plain Reporter Notebooks" (193 plain pages, 3 1/2 X 5 1/2 on acid free paper) which turn out to be great for this if you use both sides. I'm so enjoying your Substack Jeanne. It feels like a new harbor. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the world.
I SUPER love this idea!!!! It's feels so much more meaningful and worthwhile than gratitude journaling and all that regular old stuff. I'm totally going to give this a try!
Yay, I love it, Kristi! Thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing. I'm happy this resonated with you. And I hope your 2024 will be filled with many beautiful things, each and every day.
I was a mere 10 minutes ago explaining to my wife how someone just expressed something to me in such a way that it really resonated with me - I was able to consume it . You Jeanne, suggest a practice that seems so simple and yet it could prove so helpful as I try to think past the turmoil this world is immersed in - I really think it's just what I need - "What the Dr ordered."
Ahh I love this so much. Especially where you share that it has made you a natural optimist, looking for that one thing in your world each day, so wonderful. Might have to take up this practice as well
I love reading this and am now realizing that I learned about this practice from Karen Davis this past year without understanding from whom she had gotten it! It was the inspiration for my #beautyoftheday project which I have been doing since then - I photograph one beautiful thing a day (in nature usually) and post it on social media to share with others. The comments and response from my friends has been lovely and nourishing and it seems that others are also deeply nourished by beauty. I'm eager to see where this process takes me this year. I'm not good at writing things in journals, but it does feel like it's evolving. Thanks for a great inspiration that is now touching many of the lives in my orbit.
I didn’t know you didn’t know! I’m sure I referenced Jeanne at the time, but you didn’t know her then. I love that you do this.
I'm sure you referenced her too....you're right, I didn't know her, so there was no context for me. Now there is! thanks for your support around it. It brings me peace and joy.
I love hearing all this! May the One Beautiful Thing a Day practice ripple outward, wider and wider, to enrich more and more lives! Thank you so much for spreading it, Karen and Susi. (I should've trademarked it ... ha!)
P.S. I didn't realize, until reading this exchange between you two, that I also wrote about it last year. (Just found the earlier post in my archive.) Ha! I had totally forgotten.
Your One Beautiful Thing habit is a keeper! There is so much beauty in the subtleties that surround us. One day the gentle hand movement of an older native American woman who was waiting for the bus caught my attention and still gives me happiness when I recall how much a part of her, her beautiful grace was.
Over time I have found some success with New Years resolutions. I mostly treat them like learning to stay focused in meditation. When you fall off the wagon, you just bring yourself back to the task at hand. Walking meditations were especially helpful in watching where my mind wandered. With resolutions I set things that will be helpful and don't beat myself up if I slip up. Recent years included cleaning out one drawer or shelf a week. This has stuck with me, and I am very glad for it! Last year I tried to avoid eating after 5pm. This is a challenge! But I have steadily lost a little weight with it and I do feel better for that. I am thinking about adding a little walking to this year. I rise early to put feed out for birds and I am thinking of adding a few turns around the house and yard before I go back inside. Not much, but even a little bit is a start to being more active and looking for Beautiful Things!
Oh, Sandy, I love all that. Good ideas! Thank you for sharing them. Your resolutions sound do-able and reasonable. I'm working on that no-night-eating thing, too. Jeez, it's hard! Your early morning ritual sounds lovely, and adding some walking to that would be perfect. Happy New Year to you!
Thank you, Jeanne. Happy New Year to you too! 😀
Thank you. I love the representation of Janus. The image will help me walk through the door. You might like Ross Gay’s “Book of Delights” though I find his search a bit too active. Like you I prefer it when the just come upon you like the New Year’s wish just received from a former student in Hong Kong who found a teaching position in Taiwan. Two in one.
My online book club is reading Gay's A Book of (More) delights currently. Lots of inspiration there, though I appreciate your description of his search being "a bit too active!"
Thank you Jeanne. That’s a very kind way to put it. 2023 was brutal. But not just for me. Let’s hope 2024 becomes known as the “year brutality ended and gentility spread”.
Thank you, Irwin - good to hear from you! I need to check out Ross Gay's book. Happy New Year to you! I hope 2024 will be gentler to you than 2023 was.
Oh gosh, I love this. It’s the seemingly mundane moments that are the most magnificent. I heard an unfamiliar bird call yesterday and looked up to a flock flying past me overhead. They had red bellies. Robins? And then, an isolated cloud quickly floated by . All this happened within seconds. Glorious. It’s right here, now. Thank you! ❤️
Perfect, Katie! That was indeed your One Beautiful Thing of the day ... or two! Wishing you many more.
I love this practice, Jeanne! Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome, Cathy! It feels very joyful to see how this is resonating with so many people. Evidently we all need this kind of practice, living in a world that often pulls us in the other direction. Happy 2024 to you!
This seems like a wonderful thing to do. I’m not nearly disciplined enough to plan it for everyday, but I’ll keep it mind to do as often as I can. I got a little notebook last year to write gratitudes in and wrote one. Pitiful. I’ll try to use it for both now. Happy New Year!
I'd say, tweak the idea in whatever way you want/need to, so that's workable for you. Sounds like that little notebook is still waiting for you, with lots of blank pages to fill. Have fun! And Happy New Year to you too, Debbie.
Love this! I’ve been finding joy & magic in the mundane for years now, but I’ve failed to write it down. That changes in 2024! I’m starting something similar this year, more details to come...
That's great, Becki! I promise you'll enjoy writing down all that joy & magic. Happy New Year to you! And thanks for reading/commenting.
Ok where do you find small notebooks with enough pages? My search is coming up empty!
Yep, you nailed the problem, Karen. I used to walk into stores like Target or Walmart and find them in school supplies. Little colorful 4X5.5's with 200 pages. (I write on both sides of each page, so that easily covers 365 days.) When I couldn't find those anymore several years ago, I started ordering them online, in packs of four. This year, I needed to order more and had a terrible time. Searched everywhere. Here's what I finally found. I'm not in love with the cover designs, but they'll have to do. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Emraw-Heritage-Style-Cover-Fat-Book-with-200-Sheets-of-Ruled-White-Paper-Set-Includes-4-Different-Types-of-Heritage-Style-Covers-4-Pack/611161953
I'm new to this space and am feeling so grateful to find it via Janisse's Substack workshop! I'm a bit of a journal collector. I use them so much that I buy nice ones whenever I find them on sale. I had a handful of Moleskin "Plain Reporter Notebooks" (193 plain pages, 3 1/2 X 5 1/2 on acid free paper) which turn out to be great for this if you use both sides. I'm so enjoying your Substack Jeanne. It feels like a new harbor. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the world.
I do love this practice!
I love One Beautiful Thing and Three Good Things and have started keeping track. Thank you, Jeanne. Happy new year!
So glad, Amy! I can pretty much guarantee that these practices will enrich your life in quietly magical ways. Happy New Year to you too!
I love this idea! We can chose to see the bad or celebrate the good in life. My word for the year is joy, so this sounds like a wonderful practice!
That is a terrific word-of-the-year, Lisa! May joy present itself to you, over and over in a million different faces, in 2024. Happy New Year to you!
I SUPER love this idea!!!! It's feels so much more meaningful and worthwhile than gratitude journaling and all that regular old stuff. I'm totally going to give this a try!
Yay, I love it, Kristi! Thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing. I'm happy this resonated with you. And I hope your 2024 will be filled with many beautiful things, each and every day.
I was a mere 10 minutes ago explaining to my wife how someone just expressed something to me in such a way that it really resonated with me - I was able to consume it . You Jeanne, suggest a practice that seems so simple and yet it could prove so helpful as I try to think past the turmoil this world is immersed in - I really think it's just what I need - "What the Dr ordered."
Thank you very much for sharing - Oh Wise One.
Mark, you are so welcome! It's a joy to share these things and how we can help each other. You do the same thing with what you write. Happy New Year!
Thanks Jeanne
A wonderful idea.
Thank you, Shellie! You're a writer; I think you'd love this practice. Happy New Year to you!
Ahh I love this so much. Especially where you share that it has made you a natural optimist, looking for that one thing in your world each day, so wonderful. Might have to take up this practice as well
Thank you for reading & commenting, Kathleen! Here's wishing you a Happy New Year that contains many Beautiful Things each day!
Don't worry. You can just memorize them and then read them back to me from memory word for word at the end of 2024.
Good plan!