Daily Inspo: Cultivating Joy

It's January 1, 2025 and I've been reflecting on the ways I'd like to show up this year, and one of them is to take the time to do a daily inspirational check-in.

As my life has changed over the years, I've noticed that when I have taken the time to write in my journal and reflect on some kind of inspirational words, I have felt more at peace and connected to the version of me that I truly want to be.

So, today, I'll start with words from a book I'll be re-reading this year called "You Are Your Choices" by Alexandra Stoddard. (Alexandra Stoddard was my OG "romanticize your life" mentor.)

I read this book several years ago and loved it. It still feels (mostly) resonant with me today, so I thought this would be a good place to go for my daily inspiration for a while.

I plan to go through each chapter and share a few thoughts here.

I do want to share this one disclaimer that I don't believe that our life experiences are entirely made up of our choices alone.

Life is a mixed bag and sometimes things happen that are simply out of our control.

We don't always get to decide how life shows up.

But, I do believe that it's my job to determine what choices I can make, so I'd like try to do that with more mindful awareness and care.

So the thought today comes from this book, Chapter 1.

We need to train ourselves to take greater pleasure in whatever it is we're doing.

- Alexandra Stoddard

This isn't always easy for me, but I do think it's worth the effort.

My mind can so easily wander and worry, but when I remind myself that I usually do have the power to bring my thoughts back to the simplicity of the moment and the beauty that can be found in the little things in life.

There will always be those seasons of life that take more out of us and make this practice so much more difficult, but for me right now, I will try to engage with it as often as I can.

Happy New Year!

With love,

from Julia

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A note about inspirational quotes: I've noticed that inspirational quotes don't always apply to me when I'm in survival mode or other states of being, like in times of rest or when things are out of my control. This is why I always check in with myself before taking in the messages. If a quote doesn't feel applicable to me in the moment, I simply ignore it and remind myself that not everything applies to me all the time.

A note about my social values: I recognize that not every person has access to the resources needed to be able to cultivate a life of peace, beauty, and joy, which is why I will always support systems and people who are doing the work to move toward a world that supports the basic needs and rights of all people. I believe that "the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members." - Gandhi