I have written before about the importance of whimsy as an Essential on the Diva path. (Remember, you can search for all the Essential posts by using the search bar.) However, I think it’s a great time to re-visit that with a bit more detail and discuss the importance of keeping a “whimsy list.”
It can be hard – very hard! – for newly-minted Divas to commit to whimsy or play of any kind. American culture tends to lean hard on the Puritan side of things (remember, those folks were so dour that they banned Christmas!). Perhaps the most obvious place we see this is in the workplace where grinding is seen as “paying your dues” and unpaid extra labor is dismissed as being a “team player.” But you also see it in making school bake sales a blood sport. Social media has just made this worse and the rise of AI slop guarantees that therapists will not run out of patients any time soon.
Cultivating a whimsical mindset doesn’t make these other issues go away, but it does give you a moment to pause and decide what feels authentic to you. Creating a Whimsy List gives you assurance that this goal – living an authentic life that doesn’t disdain play – is always close at hand.
There’s really no better time of the year than July to commit to this goal. It’s syrupy hot here in the American South and moving fast is just a bad idea. Independence Day is right around the corner, providing us all with a natural marker of how we are achieving the “pursuit of happiness” mentioned in the Declaration of Independence as an unalienable right. (By the way, please make time on the Fourth to read the Declaration – out loud is best and it only takes about ten minutes. Here’s a link from the National Archives to a transcript.)
As to what should be on your Whimsy List, I cannot say – you must find your own delights. Maybe you have always wanted Indian-inspired pillows. Perhaps you want monogrammed stationery. Or floral dishes. Or a manicure that features glitter. What it is doesn’t really matter; that you know what it is does. Feel free to keep a running list – what suits you this year may not suit you next year; cross items off your list. Add new ones when you find something that gives you shivers of pleasure. It is likely that you never find everything on your list and that’s as it should be. We should always have something to aspire to.
When it comes to “but how do I pay for these things?” that’s a different matter. Beginning in Week One of the basic Diva Drills, I point out the importance of having a little mad money for whims and how to consistently build up that fund.
Then be on the lookout. The Universe wants to give you good things, Diva. It really does. But you have to be paying attention.
For instance, during the last week, I knew this heat wave was coming and that it was really going to be a scorcher than made being outside unpleasant. But I like being outside so I wanted to figure something out there. Lo and behold, I came across this gem.
Yes, that’s a ten-foot long inflatable flamingo pool. It also has small solar panels built in so – yes – it glows at night. It was on sale and shipping was free. I consulted with friends, thinking that maybe it was just too much and that I had been in the sun too much. Consensus was quickly reached and in a jiffy, I had the pool and a pump on order. I rooted around the house and found other bits and pieces of summer fun that I had collected over the years and created a backyard oasis. My Beloved is a wise man who understands that there is great truth in the adage of “happy wife, happy life,” so while he probably thinks it’s ridiculous, but smiles and reminds me to apply more sunscreen.
Today, it’s 98 degrees out and I’ve lazily watched the clouds while lounging in what I have christened the Birdbath with a cool limoncello San Pellegrino nestled into an inflatable flamingo drink cozy by my side.
The pursuit of happiness was very close at hand, dear Divas.
Go find what makes you happy.
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