Do You Enjoy Your Favorite Things Every Day?

What are your favorite things? Make a list. Seriously, right now. Get a piece of paper. I’ll wait.

Now jot down all the things that come to mind. What do you enjoy?

Pizza

Bubble gum

Walks around pretty neighborhoods

Snow boarding (this isn’t MY list, this is just to get you thinking)

Bubble baths

[image error]Clean sheets

Long stemmed wine glasses

Rum punch

Roller coasters

Silly putty

Pedicures

Mac and cheese

Talking with a funny friend

Twinkle lights

The beach

Ice fishing

Roller blading

Hopscotch

Maybe you enjoy hula hoops, jump rope, and playing jacks. Maybe you enjoy Scrabble, Bingo, and spoons. Maybe you enjoy Shark Week, Julia Roberts movies, and Wheel of Fortune.

Maybe you enjoy hot tea, hot baths, and a hot romance novel. Maybe you enjoy cool showers, cool lemonade, and classical music. Maybe you enjoy crossword puzzles, word finds, and mad libs.

Maybe you enjoy fixing computers, vintage buttons, and Monty Python. Maybe you enjoy gardening, crocheting, and finger painting. Maybe you enjoy jigsaw puzzles, shopping antique stores, and kayaking.

Write down ten things that you enjoy. Write down ten more. Ten more. And one more. You know have 31 things on your list. And that is just the beginning. Keep adding to it whenever anything comes to mind. Once you get your thinking down this path, the brain will accommodate.

The point is that there are many, many, many things you enjoy. The purpose of the list is to have a tangible, visible reminder to do them.

I enjoy travel. So I do it. Even a day trip an hour from home counts.

Every day, every single day, do something that you enjoy. Do several things. Last night, I went for a long walk with Prince Charming. I enjoy walks and I enjoy his company. That’s two things. We walked along the river. That’s one more thing. I enjoy house gawking and garden gawking. Check. Check. We strolled to the ice cream place and got a twist cone AND a cherry slushie. Two more things I enjoy. That’s at least seven things in one evening walk.

This is not a bucket list that you check off. This is a reminder list to include the things you love into your normal daily life.

I love twinkle lights. We have a string draped across our bed. I love pretty glassware. I use it every day. I love candles. We usually light a candle at dinner just because.

There is no need to wait for any “occasion” to incorporate your joys into your every day world. If you love bubble baths, make a date with yourself to do that this week. If you like flea markets, make a date with yourself to do that this month. If you like canoeing, make a date with yourself to do that this summer.

If you like to write, write for ten a minutes a day. If you like to knit, start a project. If you like to get together with friends, pick up the phone and extend an invitation.

We let ourselves get in our way. Shut off your thinker and tune in to your heart. What do you enjoy? Do you do enough of things you love?

We think our “to do” list outranks the “enjoy” list. Who says?

You can add joys to the humdrum. You can pay bills while listening to your favorite music. You can fold laundry while watching your favorite show. You can wait in the orthodontist while reading your favorite magazine. (I bring my own reading material everywhere.)

Don’t sit around waiting for enjoyable things to happen. Be deliberate. Know what you enjoy and do a bit every day.

I enjoy dark chocolate with almonds. Guess what sits on my desk? And I keep it in a container that is pretty and says Bliss. Just glancing at it makes me feel good.

Joy is not something that is obtained someday, somewhere. It’s right here. It’s the big things like a grand vacation, a newborn baby, and a family reunion. And it’s the little things like eating a fudgsicle on a comfy patio chair.

Savor the moments. Invite more of them into your life. It starts now with making your list and making up your mind to partake. Adding a bit of joy into each day adds up to a life of more joy. Want some?

Ten more things….

Flowers, sparkly nail polish, outdoor movies, …..