15 of my favourite things from the day
On decisions, connection, and airport crushes
For two years, I’ve been cultivating the daily practice of noticing.
Much like a line-a-day diary, I capture fleeting moments of inspiration, interesting things I overhear, and personal reminders.
Reflecting on the hundreds of entries offered a bird’s eye view of so much I was grappling with throughout the year—indecision, disconnection, and unknowing, but also hope, clarity, and new beginnings.
Sharing these tidbits each week not only serves as a personal record of the ebb and flow of life, but as many readers tell me, it’s also an invitation for you to notice the ordinary and the extraordinary within your days, too.
Over the years, this practice has become a treasured ritual that helps me pin something useful from each day, no matter how small. I’d love to share more about the process, and wondered if anyone would be interested in an online workshop on how I keep this daily record, and other approaches to journaling, keeping a diary, and writing?
If you’d be keen to attend such a workshop, add your name to the list below and if there’s enough interest, I’ll put something together in the coming months.
For now, here are my favourite things from a year of noticing. For more, you can find last year’s list of favourites here and receive a fresh batch each week if you’re a paid subscriber.
1.
Friday 15 March | It’s both a comfort and a curse that we take ourselves wherever we go.
2.
Wednesday 17 April | Some people numb things, some people press on the bruise.
3.
Sunday 28 April | After a breakup, a friend told me she has a newfound commitment to the platonic relationships in her life and is asking friends about what they want and need. Then she asks, “Madeleine, what do you need to feel loved?” and I spend a good time pondering.
4.
Sunday 5 May | One friend lands the dream job. Another meets a wonderful guy. Another receives a life-changing offer. They’re all reminders of what’s always possible—our days can turn around.
5.
Friday 17 May | If you find yourself lamenting a certain season in life, ask yourself what you might miss once it has passed
6.
Monday 3 June | Given the 16-hour flight delay, I’ve had ample time to develop an Airport Crush. Despite sitting opposite each other for the first leg of the flight, being in the same shuttle bus to the hotel, lining up at the buffet for breakfast the next morning, and back on another shuttle bus, my courage to make eye contact and say hello proved elusive. Finally, as I approach the boarding gate, I smile at my Airport Crush. Then as I sit down opposite I hear a “Hello” from the man next to me. He’d intercepted my smile thinking it was for him, recognised me from the shuttle, struck up a friendly conversation, and reminded me to allow for ease when it comes to all types of connection.
7.
Tuesday 9 July | It’s my third week of rowing classes, and the oars keep getting wedged at my chest when I’m in the backstop position. The instructor explains that I’m using too much force at the beginning. “The problem always starts before it actually shows up” he adds, and I think that might be true of most problems.
8.
Wednesday 31 July | Is this thing actually a problem, or is it just an easier problem for my mind to fixate on?
9.
Thursday 15 August | I scroll because I’m unable to sleep, but I’m unable to sleep because I scroll.
10.
Tuesday 3 September | Maybe you don’t need to figure out how to make something of your life. Maybe you just need to do something with your day.
11.
Sunday 3 November | Diana Athill wrote: “It is possible to recover from failure: to digest it, make use of it and forget it.” I remind myself I am mid-digestion—and perhaps the biggest thing I’ll have to swallow is my mistake of ever thinking it was all a failure.
12.
Monday 11 November | How do you know whether the boredom you’re experiencing is the necessary and fruitful kind, or if it’s a sign things aren’t for you?
13.
Saturday 30 November | Some people seem to live at the front of their being—unhidden, alive, in the fullest expression of themselves. How?
14.
Thursday 2 January | To invite more of the experiences I want into my life, I am experimenting with telling people exactly what I want in text messages: swims in watering holes, walks in nature, dinner at your home, coworking afternoons, afternoons reading together, your company.
15.
Wednesday 26 February | I read that the word for the smallest feeling you can notice is limina. It’s like pushing a door ajar and getting a sense of the air in a room before you enter. Today felt like that.
Below, you’ll find a fresh batch of things from the day, an experiment to try, and a handpicked poem. If you’re not already a paid subscriber, upgrade here to support my work and access all the things.
