Everyone goes through this. And, if you haven’t, you’re about to. Or you’re lying. I’m not talking about “organizing” or “spring cleaning” (although they are slippery slopes that could lead to a MariKon-like breakthrough). I’m talking about a full-fledged inner revolution of thought that makes you wonder how far you can take this little granule of an idea, before it becomes absurd.
Spark joy.
Oh boy. If the phrase “spark joy” makes you wonder a lot of things about the differences between yourself and someone who can genuinely speak it aloud several times a week, you’re not alone. I also find Marie Kondo unbelievably saccharine. But I think she is genuine (I might be alone on this). And, while I haven’t adopted her entire ethos, I am enjoying the reminders of characteristics I find aesthetically valuable. Space. Balance. Light and Dark. Assigning non-empirical values to all things. When you say “organization”, it has connotations of social obligation or doing what is “right”, and it makes everything tiresome. But I think maybe it should be just as much of a selfish act. Making your space exactly the way you want it. Which is why it now takes me hours to pack for anything. I’ve gotten meticulous about the process (Even the dirties get folded! In a different way!), and anyone who knows me will tell you I’m about as far from OCD as they come. I’ve also become a hand crank toting Aeropress traveler, which also takes a certain amount of keeping tabs…
The Setup.
In any case, I’m enjoying it and I hope it lasts at least a little while longer.
Im also full steam into my Mandarin studies. Hence the soft flex; translation: Always on the road. It took me a year, but I think I have momentum now.
