Summary Stay Open to Delight - by Heather Havrilesky - Ask Polly www.ask-polly.com
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One Line
Being open to delight, even when tired and skeptical, can lead to transformative experiences and the embrace of unexpected moments of joy.
Slides
Slide Presentation (7 slides)
Key Points
- Delight is important and should be prioritized over mastery.
- Being a dilettante, someone who delights in many things at once, can bring joy and enthusiasm.
- Surrounding yourself with people who are delighted by what they do can be inspiring and contagious.
- Staying open to delight means being open to new experiences, even if they seem pointless or uninteresting at first.
- Staying open to delight requires being present, noticing what's there, and finding something engaging about it.
Summaries
18 word summary
Staying open to delight, even when tired and skeptical, is transformative. Embrace and celebrate unexpected moments of delight.
61 word summary
Staying open to delight is important, even when tired and skeptical. Attending a workshop on pollinators, the author was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm of the leader. Being around people who love something can be transformative. Staying open to delight requires trying new things and being present. Embrace and celebrate moments of delight, as they can be found in unexpected places.
130 word summary
Staying open to delight, even when feeling exhausted and skeptical, is important. The author shares a personal experience attending a workshop on pollinators, initially having reservations. However, they were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and delight of the workshop leader, who shared their passion for bugs, plants, and gardening. Being around people who genuinely love something and aren't afraid to show it can be transformative. Staying open to delight requires trying new things and being present. It's not about being positive or cheerful, but rather noticing what's there and allowing the world to change you. Stay open to surprises and look for delight in reality. Relish and celebrate moments of delight to become a true dilettante. Embrace and celebrate moments of delight, as they can be found in unexpected places.
372 word summary
In this article, the author reflects on the importance of staying open to delight, even when feeling exhausted and skeptical. The author shares a personal experience of attending an all-day workshop on pollinators, which they initially had reservations about. However, they were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and delight of the workshop leader, who shared their passion for bugs, plants, and gardening. The workshop turned into an exploration of delight itself, as the leader shared their favorite insects, plants, and gardening tasks. The author emphasizes the power of someone else's delight to break through negativity and exhaustion.
The author discusses the concept of staying open to delight and how it requires a commitment to trying new things and being present. They admit that it can be challenging to feel delight on an average day but emphasize the importance of showing up for experiences that may seem pointless or uninteresting. The author shares their own experience of attending the workshop despite feeling tired and skeptical. They found that being around people who genuinely love something and aren't afraid to show it can be transformative. Staying open to delight is not about being positive or cheerful but rather about noticing what's there and allowing the world to change you.
The author compares staying open to delight to being a bug that bumps around looking for food. Bugs don't judge or blame themselves when they encounter something that can't feed them; they simply stay open and continue their search for delight. The author encourages readers to stay open to surprises and look for delight in reality. They emphasize the importance of relishing and celebrating moments of delight, as this is how one becomes a true dilettante.
In conclusion, the author urges readers to stay open to delight even when faced with skepticism and exhaustion. They highlight the power of someone else's delight to inspire and transform, as well as the importance of being present and noticing what's around you. Staying open to delight is a choice to try new things, tolerate new experiences, and let the world come in and change you. The author emphasizes that delight can be found in the most unexpected places and encourages readers to embrace and celebrate moments of delight.