Find Your Joy
“I think you need to find your joy again” she advised. When I was told this I didn’t know how to go about it. Where do I find this joy? If I do, could I hold onto it forever? Despite joy’s elusiveness, a personal 2021 goal of mine is to find it, in every aspect of my life: work, relationships, and hobbies. Like many goals, this was in far reach because, spoiler alert, life can suck sometimes. Nonetheless, when life starts to feel this way, I am learning to focus on my hobbies that bring me joy (reading and indoor gardening). The first thing I do is seek out a comfort read. These are books that I gravitate to whenever I’m in need of a warm hug or an escape. The best authors have found ways to make us forget about our real lives, if only for a few hours. After 8 short days into the new year, I found a book that would now become my new comfort read: The House in the Cerulean Sea.
“We should always make time for the things we like. If we don't, we might forget how to be happy.”
The book follows Linus, a case worker who lives a solitary, monotone life. He is tasked with documenting and reporting his findings on an Marsyas orphanage, which houses six magical youths. Linus expects and is expected to treat this case objectively, like he has routinely done. What he finds is a growing attachment to the people on the island that has him questioning if he can truly stay objective.
This book was filled with humor, sass, wholesomeness, and truths.There were so many take aways from this book but what resonated with me the most is just how many of us can relate to Linus. Linus was content with his life even though it brought him no joy. Fear had him trapped when happiness was within reach. But the unknown can't be the scariest thing we face. Linus discovers what happens when he stops allowing his fears to dictate his every move and embraces risk despite the cost.
“We get trapped in our own little bubbles, and even though the world is a wide and mysterious place, our bubbles keep us safe from that. To our detriment.” She sighed. “But it’s so easy because there’s something soothing about routine. Day in and day out, it’s always the same. When we’re shaken from that, when that bubble bursts, it can be hard to understand all that we’ve missed.”
Speaking of risks, propagating plants is risky business. I recently challenged myself to propagate some cuttings from my houseplants. After conducting some research, I used the water propagation method. The plants that are featured in the photo include my successful propagations of:
Monstera Adansonii
My own fusion of: Golden Pothos, Marble Pothos, and Jade and Pearl Pothos
Satin Pothos
Here is a website I have found helpful when I decided to start propagating my plant cuttings. And yes, seeing how much my plants have grown during this process have brought me joy.
I would love to hear from you. What brings you joy? Have you successfully propagated plant cuttings?