We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

Plato

Men and women, obviously. In fact, I’d say up until quite recently women were trained to be more afraid of the light than men were. We were encouraged to feel limited, to not explore beyond the circle of our cave and to rely on others to live life and tell us about the world. That’s changing now, in some ways, although I do wonder if we’re remembering human essentials in the process.

I’m still not convinced that either men or women have truly learned to embrace the Light, to go forward with courage and hope that better days lie ahead. The news is so bad, the world so irredeemably flawed, the tribes and arguments so entrenched that, really, is it worth looking for the light let alone embracing it?

Yes, yes it is.

I’m not sure we’re all aiming for the same light, which is part of the reason why we flounder and bewail the world around us. What would a world full of light look like? What priorities would people, groups and governments hold in common? How does one ’embrace the light’ in a pluralist society without your light swamping someone else’s? Can there be too much light? (practically… yes, because too bright a room/house etc is not welcoming: emotionally? I don’t know. It depends how invasive your light is).

And yet there must be goals in common that we can embrace and set our course for. No murder is an easy one, how we treat children and the elderly possibly also an easy decision. The rest? Up for a long discussion, which society seems never to want to have.

2024 will be a pivotal year politically in the USA, the UK, India, Mexico. It has been estimated that 2 billion voters in over 50 countries will be involved in major elections this year. Politics is not a hyggely subject, I know, but people are more than politics. At base, we are all still humans with human desires, dreams and ambitions. Whatever happens politically, perhaps embracing the Light this year more than any other means being aware of that shared humanity: taking a moment to see things from an opponents point of view, even if you absolutely disagree with it, and never forgetting that you both ultimately have a shared goal, of a better world, in mind, you’re just disagreeing about the path to take.

This year don’t give in to partisan name calling and insults that can easily slide into hatred. Disagree, but do it with grace. Maintain contact with people who think differently than you. Display determination, decency and dedication without destroying community links that need rebuilding. Head for the Light.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. Lent is a season of rituals and resets. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

My Christmas books are always available: Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier. Celebrating a Contagious Christmas was written during covid year, but has useful advice on celebrating when times are hard anyway and Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas is a short e-book on keeping Christmas simpler, easier and better for you, your waistline and your budget. It even includes 25+ suggestions for self-care activities over Christmas, as simple as sipping tea, keeping a list journal or lighting a candle. Bigger is not always better for Christmas.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of spring/summer.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash. I’m using it from now until January as a real reminder of the power of light. I loved the simplicity of the shot, the focus on the one candle, the reminder that there are many lights out there if we open our hearts to them and the combination of candle and nature in creating a cosy Christmas.