Week 101: Bursts of Delight

Walking through the park the other morning, on the way to my office, I came upon a very small dog who turned out to be an enchantress. Minding my own business, looking at all the trees I pass each morning, I suddenly noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I looked down and this small dog was running toward me, her whole body wiggling and wriggling with anticipation, her tail wagging furiously. I had never met her before and found myself filled with a warm glow as she ran up to me to say hello. What captivated me was her total abandon, her complete openness, and her utter delight at encountering a new person. Her human companion said that this little dog just loves people and can’t wait to say hello to everyone she passes.

As they moved on, I felt the afterglow of an unexpected and delicious encounter. It was brief – only a moment or two – but it planted a smile on my face that lasted much longer. As I remember that wriggling mass of fur right now, the smile returns, and I am reminded of all the small, seemingly-inconsequential, moments that add up to create a store of delight to which I can return in my imagination.

The experience got me to thinking of the gift that these moments represent. It is a gift that reminds us that there are many things in the world that are friendly, beautiful, fun, and delicious. During these times when we hear so much bad news, and constantly learn of the next awful thing humans are doing to one another and the planet, it’s useful to remember that these reports represent only half the picture. There is this other side of things, the aspects of our lives that reflect the good things around us. The trick is to consciously register these good things.

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to pay attention to the unexpected moments when you find yourself smiling or laughing at someone or something that pops up in your experience that you didn’t anticipate. These don’t have to be dramatic or especially big experiences. The key is to pay attention to what puts a smile on your face or warms your heart and then to take some time to linger with the experience, to savor it, to really let it in. We can, at times, take the good stuff for granted, and this experiment offers an opportunity to acknowledge how important these good moments are to our ongoing sense of well-being. Enjoy honoring these moments of delight, small or large, and the response you have in your body-mind being. Then, later, enjoy remembering them when you need a dose of good psychological food.

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