Sending you a loving note from our summer cottage. It’s the berry picking time in Finland and I’m to be found wandering around the swamps and picking cloudberries. This activity is one of the many in my list of ‘what I love doing’.
What list am I talking about?
Years ago, I wrote a list of 100 things I love in life and that are important to me. As I was learning to radically take care of myself (not just others), I went through the list daily and picked at least one thing to implement into my day.
As silly as it may sound, this was the way for me to learn to not just do what other’s wanted me to do during my days, but to actually include things that I really love and cherish in them, too. Now, doing what I love daily is an automatic habit and I don’t even have to think about it. And what a difference it has made!!!
I haven’t been going through my original list for ages and thought of actually rewriting it while we’re taking some time off at our cottage. Just to update and remind myself of what’s important and what do I absolutely love.
Would you like to join me? If yes, take a clean sheet on your notebook, write ‘100 things I love’ on top of it and start listing.
Mine include things like
- hugging
- cuddling
- walking hand in hand
- singing (usually by myself)
- sauna
- swimming
- the sound of a dry snow under your snow boots
- watching stars
- picking berries
- meaningful conversations
- etc.
These are the kinds of things my list is mostly composed of. Things that are easily included in the daily life – if you’re aware of them and make sure to include them. Of course there are some things that require a bit more effort, yet my life consists mostly of the tiny small daily steps rather than continuous big leaps.
Yet, looking back, those small steps lead to big leaps over time.
Now, what’s included in your list? And how are you making sure you’re every day doing something you really enjoy?
Much love,
Paula
xx
Ps. Notice that you can take as much time with this exercise as you’d like! I don’t, for example, write all the 100 things at a one go. I keep the list close and add things on the go as they come into my mind. That’s actually the strategy I use to create most of my content.