Donn King discovered a book by poet Ross Gay entitled The Book of Delights. It has inspired him to post a daily thought sparked by noticing something (or some things) delightful, thereby fostering joy. May it inspire you to notice also.
Skipped a day yesterday in listing delights. That's sort of a delight in and of itself—the only reason I'm doing this is because I want to, not because I have to. That's the beauty of "Day 8" instead of a particular day. I had delights the previous day, but I didn't want to lose sleep to write a list and an article about it.
In any case, these are some (though not all) of the delights I noted from yesterday.
1: Acupuncture really made a quick difference
I'm no expert on acupuncture, but I understood from the beginning it is not expected to be a quick fix. Still, I could tell an immediate difference after treatment this morning. I've gone through the whole day afterward with hardly any aches and pains, and my mood has felt brighter. My wife suddenly realized she hasn’t experienced carpal tunnel pain in weeks. She didn’t even mention that when she began treatment a few months before I did, but the acupuncturist did say that a) the pain she is treating is one of the hardest to knock out, and b) the treatment could have beneficial effects on other nerve-related challenges. That certainly seems to be the case!
As always, it was also an opportunity for me to get in an hour-long, uninterrupted and uninterruptible meditation session.
2: The car wash!
You wouldn’t think of this as a delight, would you? But my wife bought one of those memberships where you can wash your car as many times a month as you want to for a price that is just about $5 more than what a single wash costs. We have washed the car more in the last two months than we have in at least the last 15 years. Before today, though, I was just a passenger. My wife tends to drive everywhere we go (don’t say “control issues”), and so I only drive if I’m going somewhere by myself. I had a few minutes, happened to be in the neighborhood where the car wash is, and I had noticed some dust or pollen build up. So I decided to go for it.
It was a way different experience than being a passenger! If you’ve never been through one of these automatic car washes, you drive onto a conveyor belt that pulls you through the washer tunnel. You’re supposed to put the transmission in neutral but leave the engine on, and keep your foot off the brake. That was hard! The foam on the windshield made it impossible to see ahead, and with me behind the steering wheel instead of passively sitting over there, it took multiple reminders to myself to keep my hands off the steering wheel and don’t hit the brake! It was almost like a carnival ride, and I now understand why my wife takes the car through there every chance she gets.
3: Getting the schedule set up nicely for The Alignment Show
I needed to shift some guest around a bit, and today I was able to do that with minimal disruption through the kindness of guests. I was also able to schedule one of my mentors, a Hall of Fame speaker and long-time best-selling author, about which I am thrilled. But he would be the last to demand special treatment, modeling the ultimate in service and mutual respect. In any case, we have guests scheduled all the way through April 19, with a tentative for April 26, and there are six more guests waiting to confirm dates. Great opportunity to serve an audience, and conversations that I am thoroughly enjoying. (If you’re curious, check the podcast home page.)
Donn King is The Confidence Cultivator. He is a professor of communication studies (which means “a professor of standing up in front of people and saying stuff”). He’s also a pastor, a speaker, a writer, and a communication coach. He works with professionals and leaders just like you who want to speak confidently so they can increase their impact, gain influence, and build their careers. Send email to donn at donnellking dot com if you would like to see if he could help you communicate with greater confidence.