Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi - Michael M. Hughes 2018

Cultivate Joy
Self-Care and Resilience

Those who are engaged in resistance are often hyperaware of injustice and oppression. It comes with the territory. And the lack of easy victories, and the frequently daunting odds against us, can be a recipe for despair. Despair, if allowed to fester, can literally kill you.

The antidote to despair is joy.

So work hard to discover what brings you joy. Is it making art? Going to see your favorite band or musician? Dancing at a festival? Swimming naked in the ocean or lying in a field under the stars?

It might be as simple as curling up with your favorite book and a cup of tea.

Whatever it is, find the time and do it. When you’re feeling lost, when you feel like the world is sliding into the abyss, when the politician you’ve campaigned for has been roundly beaten by a fundamentalist bigot, when the forest you spent months trying to protect is razed by bulldozers … do something to bring yourself joy.

Whatever it takes, and even if it seems futile, invite more joy into your life. If we all die tomorrow in a nuclear conflagration initiated by a deranged tyrant, wouldn’t you rather spend your final night with funny, interesting friends and a very attentive lover than waste it scrolling through strangers’ Instagram photos? Or worse, watching cable news?