Choose a response
Hi everyone,
I’m so excited to share our newsletter redesign with you all! I hope you love it.
In this week’s edition, we’re talking about how to respond to our pain, prioritize joy, and cultivate our selves in the healthiest way. We're also adding a new element to our community section, where we feature your answers to a New Happy question. You can participate in that conversation with us on Instagram or by replying to this email.
Have a beautiful week,
Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy
this week
When you're in pain, what you need is compassion. But for many of us, our default response to pain (whether it is our own or others') is either judgment or pity. Shifting towards compassion instead has profound effects on our happiness, health, and relationships.
Try This
The next time you or someone you love is in pain, keep an eye out for any knee-jerk responses that are judgmental or pitying. Judging pain sounds like "You shouldn't feel this way" or "Cheer up, it's not that bad." Pitying pain sounds like "Poor you" or viewing yourself as above them, as though they are flawed for experiencing it. If you catch yourself, switch to compassion by asking yourself: what would it look like to connect with this pain and try to alleviate it?
community
What do you do to feel more joy?
"Wild swimming and going out with my camera on solo walks."
"Cooking! I discovered it when I was 11 and I've made it my job; I'm a cooking teacher now!"
"I love hiking, being in nature, living simply."
"Reading fiction absolutely soothes my soul."
"I love to hand paint shirts, there are some designs I wanted to buy but couldn't afford, so I started to paint them myself!"
"I keep a running list in my phone of things that give me joy - reread it on hard days.”
It's easy, amidst the busyness of daily life, to forget to prioritize the things that bring us joy. This week, I hope you'll take inspiration from our community and do something just because it makes you feel alive.
inspiration
1. Go ahead, be spontaneous (Vox) — In favor of letting your plans go and doing whatever feels good to you in the moment.
2. Do you take us for a gang of brainless lizards? (Letters of Note) — Rejection is a part of courageous living: here's the proof, with rejection letters that renowned authors received throughout their careers
3. Street Symphony plays in harmony with Skid Row's 'sacred spaces' (NPR) — This week's New Happy Hero is Vijay Gupta, a violin prodigy who now brings music to clinics, homeless shelters and jails.
before you go
thank you for reading
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