Pick Me Up
June 21, 2026
“Hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands on us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism.”
~ Nick Cave
Happy Summer Solstice!
Too often these days, conflict, chaos, cruelty and corruption fill the headlines and scream for our attention. Carving out time for serenity, hope and joy can feel almost indulgent.
That’s why musician Nick Cave’s quote above resonated with me. Hope, joy and love are necessary nourishment for the body, mind and soul, especially during challenging times.
So, in honor of the day of the year when light shines brightest and longest, I’d like to share some practices that help to pick up my mood and put a spring in my step whenever I’m feeling hope-challenged.
Hopefully (pun intended) some or all of these ideas will facilitate hope, joy and lightness of heart for you too:
Music:
Listening to music I enjoy has helped to lift my mood and inspire me, for as long as I can remember. Don’t just put on a suggested playlist. Search or seek out new music or tunes you haven’t listened to for a while. Maybe check out this joyful performance by Stevie Wonder and other artists singing “All I Do” and “Higher Ground” for the Obama Presidential Center Opening Ceremonies celebration:
Dance: even better! Put on a favorite tune and move to it, by yourself or with friends.
Smile: researchers at the University of Kansas found that the physical act of forming a smile may help the body to reduce stress. In fact, their research showed that smiling works to help lower heart rates, even if the smile isn’t sincere, i.e., is purely involving the muscles of the face, rather than an emotional reaction. So you can fake a smile until you make it 😃
I wrote a blog post about it in 2016:
Laugh: watch a funny movie, perhaps one you know gets you laughing out loud, but haven’t seen in a while. Good, hearty laughter always helps to lift my mood.
Do something nice for someone: donate to organizations helping others, volunteer to be of service, do a favor for a friend or call a friend and just listen. When you make yourself a conduit of joy, hope and healing, all those good things move through you on their way to someone else and fill you with that positivity in the process.
Make something yummy for yourself and/or a friend: these creamy little Tiramisù Treats in the recipe below are easy to make and delicious to eat. The recipe makes about 28, enough to sample and to share:
Tiramisù Treats
The word tiramisù translates to “lift me up” or “pick me up”, likely referring to the coffee portion of the recipe. These easy to assemble, bite-sized versions of the famous dessert will bring joy to yourself and to friends, when shared as a gift from your kitchen. Made from mascarpone, powdered sugar, crushed cookies, coffee and cocoa, they are the perfect quick pick me up after a meal or anytime you need one. Keep them in the fridge or freezer, as they can be eaten frozen or chilled. For the cookies, you can use the traditional lady fingers or something else simple, such as graham crackers or butter cookies. I’ve used Trader Joe’s French Galettes Butter Cookies, with excellent results.
Ingredients:
5oz to 6oz of cookies (you will want 1 cup of cookie crumbs)
8oz container of mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee (approximately)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
(you can adjust the amount of sugar, depending on the cookies used)
3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Directions:
Grind cookies into superfine crumbs, using either a food processor or by putting cookies into a plastic zip bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
Measure out 1 cup of the crumbs. Set aside any leftover cookie crumbs, just in case you want to add a bit more if mixture seems too soft.
In a medium bowl, add mascarpone, 1 cup of cookie crumbs, coffee and powdered sugar and mix well with a fork.
Cover and chill in refrigerator for about 20 minutes to firm up mixture.
Add cocoa to a shallow bowl.
Remove chilled mixture from fridge.
Line a tray with parchment or foil.
With clean hands, spoon some mixture up and roll into a 1-inch-sized ball. Roll formed ball in cocoa powder to coat completely. Place coated ball on lined tray. Continue forming balls and rolling each in cocoa powder until all the mixture is formed into coated balls. I recommend rinsing and lightly drying your hands between forming each ball, so keep a towel or paper towels handy.
Chill or freeze treats 1 hour, depending on desired consistency:
Chill 1 hour = creamy
Freeze 1 hour = firmer, like ice cream
If you intend to give as a gift, be sure to let the recipient know to store them in either their fridge or freezer.
Makes about 28 treats
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