Make a Map of Joy

​This week, give yourself permission to go on an adventure—on paper. Create a “map” of your recent travels, adventures, or imagined journeys, and mark the spots where you felt joy, wonder, rest, or connection. This isn’t about accuracy or geography, it’s about noticing what made your heart feel light and giving yourself space to dream.

Here’s how to play:

1. Choose your base:
A blank sheet of paper, a sketchbook, or even the back of a used notebook.
Any size works—small and pocket-sized or large and sprawling.

2. Pick your “destinations”:
Think of moments, places, or experiences that brought you joy.
Real or imagined, big or small—a quiet sunset, a conversation that lingered, a new café you discovered, a tree-lined street, or even a memory from childhood.

3. Decide how to represent them:
Use shapes, colors, stickers, stamps, or drawings to mark your “joy spots.”
There’s no need to label everything—symbols, patterns, or doodles can stand in for a memory or feeling.

4. Connect the dots (or don’t):
You can draw lines between the spots if you like, or let them float freely on the page.
Treat it like a map for gratitude rather than navigation.

5. Add playful details:
Include little notes, color washes, texture with scrap paper, or anything that delights you.
There’s no “correct” way to do it. Let curiosity guide you.

6. Reflect & dream:
As you map your joys, notice patterns—places, people, or feelings that recur.
Add a few “future joy spots”—places or experiences you hope to explore.

This map can be a reminder, a meditation, or even a playful gift to yourself or someone you care about.