Sparking Joy

What, if anything, have you heard about Marie Kondo, the sorting superhero? Folding, rolling, even thanking your belongings one at a time – could that all sound a tiny bit obsessive to you? Yes, me too. It all provoked seven shades of scepticism when I (typically!) picked up ideas online.  And then early last year I watched some short videos (Component of Information, take a bow), and I realised that this tiny, beguiling, dynamic Japanese person has discovered something big. Making decisions is taxing, and it seems we have brain energy for a limited amount of it every day. She has realised that we can blank out almost every decision-blocking factor by asking one question, and then by giving full attention to our response.

‘Does it spark joy?’  For her it’s about clothes (the clothes above have been thoroughly Kondo-ed) and other household categories. For me it’s becoming applicable across the board. Here’s this old jersey, new book, proposed train journey, possible CPD/ piece of work – something I need to decide with clarity and ideally without delay.  Assuming that it’s something I don’t have to do, assuming that there is choice.  So now I ask myself: does it spark joy? And then consider carefully what comes up in response. So now I’m wondering about the difference this might make to me in 2019.  What do you think?

If the answer truly is yes, then you’re home and dry.  If not, what difference will that make? It does take practice, and it’s easy to make fun of it (remember our Thinking Inhibitors Ridicule/ Cynicism/ Sarcasm and what they do to shut down capacity to think well about something?);  you do need to open the heart just a bit to get easy with this and I’m still working on it. Because it works and not just for clothes. Paradoxically in a way it is such a head-clearer. I feel that if my decisions and actions can be guided by my internal response to ‘does it spark joy?’ then life can be calmer and richer, yet simpler and less confusing.

That’s how it’s looking to me now, despite that initial scepticism/ antipathy. So let me invite you to suspend disbelief, have a little look at lovely Marie here (and all over the internet!) and see what you think about sparking joy: http://bit.ly/2sm63Ua.. And please do let me know if it makes a difference!

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