#53: Some Little Things I'm Loving

DOPAMINE DUMP

Happy Friday!

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Some Little Things I'm Loving

1. A fat new tube of toothpaste. After weeks of squeezing and folding and mangling the old tube to eke out another brush’s worth of paste, I’m living lavish with this robust new tube. She’s thick. She’s luscious. She’s plump. I love it.  

2. In an equal and opposite direction, feeling like a hero after showering with the two little nubbins left of the soap instead of tossing them and grabbing a new bar. I’m creating less waste. I’m sacrificing for the planet. I’m a sustainable hero. You’re welcome, Earth. 🌱

3. Singing in traffic. I’ve always been a concert in the car girl, but so much of my car time in LA is sitting in traffic, in the static periphery of the driver next to me. My performances were previously for an audience of one: me, myself, and I. If you caught a glimpse as I zoomed by or got a sneak preview while we sat at a red light, congratulations! But if you want more of the goods, you had to buy a ticket (aka ask to carpool). I would cool it to a hum and humble head-bob if I got stuck next to someone for too long, but no more! My car concerts are full choreo, full throat, full throttle, even though my foot is technically off the throttle because I’m parked on the 405.

4. The little juice they give you after you pass out at the doctor’s office. It’s free. It’s perfectly chilled. It’s basically life-saving. What’s not to love? Highly recommend the little juice at the LA Headache Center. They do not skimp. I got a cold-pressed lemon, blueberry, açaí number. 10/10 would faint there again.

5. Library books! Go ahead and judge that book by its cover. It’s free! Your punishment for selecting a book you don’t like is that you get to come back to the library and pick another one. Umm?! Yes please! Don’t get me wrong, I love buying books from local bookshops, but reading from the library is liberating. And so dang peaceful. Shut up and read, people! 📚

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• Watch this TikTok on tiny little joys that inspired today’s dopamine dump. Turns out imprinting positive experiences throughout the day actually helps us improve our worldview and cultivate more joyful lives. It’s science!

What little things have been lighting up your week? Let me know in the comments! If this newsletter just became one, please share the dopamine boost and forward this newsletter to a pal.

Hope you have a great day,

Ariana