Small Habit, Big Joy: My Lunchtime Revelation

One takeaway from reading Joie by Ajiri Aki was the encouragement to bring more intention and delight into everyday moments—especially something as simple as lunch. Inspired by that, I invited a group of women from work to lunch. Each of them had always struck me as kind and friendly. Though they didn’t all know each other, I thought it would be meaningful to bring them together.

There were about eight of us at that first lunch, and it turned out to be a really special experience. Despite being younger and in different stages of life, they shared similar hopes and fears. The conversation was warm and easy, and it reminded me how much joy and connection can come from simply making the space. We now meet the first Wednesday of each month.

That experience encouraged me to begin taking lunch at least once a week. It started small, just one lunch, but I enjoyed it so much that I now take time most days to step away from work for 30 to 60 minutes. At first, I’d watch people I follow on YouTube during lunch. Eventually that became a little repetitive, so I asked ChatGPT for suggestions. Since it knows my 2025 intentions—like pursuing balance, living slower, and creating meaningful moments—it offered ideas that really resonated with me.

The biggest shift? I realized it took losing a job I’d had for 35 years and starting fresh at a company that actually values work–life balance to understand how much I needed this kind of reset. These simple daily pauses—whether shared or solo—have become a treasured part of my routine.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

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