When was the last time you even thought about it?
Do you even know what you love? Like, when I ask that question, could you rattle off several things? If someone asks, where do you want to go? or what do you want to do? Do you have a quick answer, or do you wait to see what everyone else really wants?
That used to be me too
Several years ago, if you asked me what I loved, I would have said, “Hmmm, let’s see.” It would have taken me a while. I didn’t know what I wanted for my life, or where I would love to go. I had suppressed my feelings and desires for so long in an effort to please others. I grew up thinking to be a good girl and be valued, I had to go along with what everyone else wanted.
Finally, when my life started to fall apart because I was trying to make everyone else happy, I had to stop everything and think about what makes ME happy. At first I didn’t know. As long as everything was peaceful, I was pretty happy. I thought. But, shouldn’t there be more to life than just getting through the day? I want to have purpose and meaning. I want to have plans and goals that I’m excited about.
Make a list
It was my doTERRA leader that first told me to make a joy list. She said to write down a list of 100 things that bring me joy. Some should cost money and some should be free. At first, I thought of all the things most people mention, spending time with family, snuggling with my pets, and having dinner with friends. But, over the next week, I was able to think of more and more things. I wanted to have a successful business and I wanted to work from home full time. I loved helping people. It would be so fun to travel to other countries, like Greece and Italy. My dream home is a white farmhouse with a wraparound porch on a few acres of land. After a while, I had a list close to 100 things!
Now, I know what to plan for. I know what to get excited about. I can take a small step towards doing the things on that list every day. I don’t have that dream house or the trips to Greece and Italy, but I figured out a way to work from home and start earning the money for those other things on my list.
If you ask me today what I love, I will have an answer for you.
Things to consider for your own list
- You can keep your list to yourself if you want
- List only the things you love without taking into consideration what everyone around you would love, or if someone else would think it’s weird.
- You can list tiny, simple things. Not everything on your list has to be big like a house or a new job. You can list small things, like taking a walk in your neighborhood or watching hummingbirds. (One of the things on my list is walking through my neighborhood and looking at all the landscaping.)
- Don’t try to finish your list in one day. Add to it over several days or even years if you want.
- Keep your list where you can see it often
The goal
The goal of making a list of things you love is to improve your life and live a happier existence. If it seems overwhelming to think of all the things you need to change in your life to start feeling happier again, take it one small step at a time. Do the simple things on your list first, like taking a walk in nature, collecting crystals, reading in the quiet of the morning, or whatever else is on your list that you can control right now. The more you think of what you love, the more you can crowd out the things you don’t love.
