I’m pretty excited to begin 2022 and a new year of the LWD Book Club. I want to start things off with something happy. Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness is a great choice at a time when we can all use a lift in our daily lives.
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Joyful:
The Surprising Power
of Ordinary Things
to Create Extraordinary Happiness
by Ingrid Fetell Lee
I recently listened to a podcast about this book and it sounded like the perfect kick off to the 2022 season of the LWD Book Club. The past couple of years have been quite challenging and I think we could all use more joy in our lives. Can I get an “amen”?
If you’d like to listen to the podcast, here is the link:
“This book has the power to change everything! Writing with depth, wit, and insight, Ingrid Fetell Lee shares all you need to know in order to create external environments that give rise to inner joy.” —Susan Cain, author of Quiet and founder of Quiet Revolution
Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset, or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people—regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity—are mesmerized by baby animals, and can’t help but smile when they see a burst of confetti or a cluster of colorful balloons?
We are often made to feel that the physical world has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward—through mindfulness or meditation—and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of joy?
In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters acceptance and delight—and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.
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What are you reading lately?
You may also enjoy these previous LWD Book Club selections…
July 2020 – Joie De Vivre
December 2020 – At Home in Mitford
July 2021 – Writers & Lovers: A Novel
What’s better than curling up with a good book and a delicious cup of tea? And when the tea is named “Reading Nook“? Perfection.
Plum Deluxe “Reading Nook” tea blend
Nice choice for the new year.
I’m currently reading “Why Mindfulness Is Better Than Chocolate” – I can’t spell the author’s last name offhand, and can’t go look right now.
Ah, that sounds good!