No. 38 - Dare to Daydream

I hope this message finds you cozy with a warm cup of tea in hand because, if you live in Canada at least, it’s been a rather chilly couple of weeks ❄️. Here in Victoria, however, winter will soon give way to the first blooms of spring. We’re already dreaming of digging in the garden, sipping tea among the tulips and daffodils. And isn’t dreaming—looking ahead with curiosity and contentment—one of the very best things about being human? May this note find you dreaming of an abundance of whatever fills your cup with joy. 💜

Dare to Daydream

When was the last time you sat with a cup of tea and stared out the window?

Daydreaming. While, perhaps, the nemesis of elementary school teachers, it is a beautiful part of being human. Sitting quietly, letting your mind run off like a child chasing butterflies in a field of wildflowers, is, in my humble opinion, a much-needed state of quietude.

One of my favourite experiences was traveling alone through Germany in 2017. I started by visiting my best friend from graduate school in Stuttgart, then spent seven days exploring spires and castles, rivers and churches, parks and museums (if you love books, I highly recommend a trip to the Gutenberg-Museum). It involved a lot of time on trains and there is no mode of transportation better suited to daydreaming. I came back from that trip refreshed in a way I had rarely experienced and with a deep appreciation for daydreaming. Giving my consciousness the much-needed time to sift through the jumble of the proverbial tea cupboard—emerging with a perfectly steeped cup of tea—is the ultimate form of self-care. And couldn’t we all use a little of that right now?

I recently read Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech where he so eloquently reiterated his belief in a peaceful world risen out of darkness by love, peace and brotherhood. “When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.” For me, it’s a timely reminder that our current turmoil may simply be the necessary chaos before we come together to create something beautiful. Perhaps a bit of collective daydreaming—and a few billion cups of tea—will help us along.

Join the conversation

Have a favourite daydreaming tea? (Mine is Time Out) Or a ritual that helps you slow down and savour the moment? Share your musings with the communi(tea)! Leave a comment below or join the conversation on social 💭. Because life is better when we Steep Calm together.

One more thing ...

“Where there is darkness may we bring light
Where there is sadness may we spread joy
May all beings live in Peace
Thank you for this day
Namaste.”
- Ben Thomas, Adapted from the Prayer of St. Francis

Until next time,
Steep Calm,
Bree