One way to feel joy today

🐦 Today’s tip: Set an “unusual bird interruption” alarm.

Sometimes—even when we’re shuffling through the late (we hope!) stages of a pandemic, and feeling burnt-out and spark-less—connecting with life’s joy is as easy as looking at a bird.

This doesn’t even have to mean actual bird-watching — a video works. As the teacher Sophie Lucido Johnson writes in Human Parts:

I have a weekly scheduled “unusual bird interruption” alarm that goes off on my phone every week in my classes. We watch a bird video for something like two minutes. Afterward, I always say, “If you’re stuck or having a hard time in the world, remember that we share the earth with these creatures! They’re out there, every minute of every day, living their lives, being amazing, and it’s bigger than whatever little thing is going on in our individual lives.”

Take a few minutes today to watch a bird. As Johnson puts it, “The time it takes to notice a bird — like, really notice it — is time spent outside of yourself.”

✨ More from Forge on the importance of awe:

The Natural Cure for Burnout Is Profound and Utter Awe
Read more >>

8 Habits of Deeply Inspiring People
Read more >>

10 Ways to Feel More Inspired in the Next 10 Minutes
Read more >>

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