Good evening, Friends.
Have y'all heard of Ann Voskamp and/or her list of 1,000 everyday gifts? Admittedly, I haven't read her book (yet), but it's on my list. And I've decided to take her lead and make a list of 1,000 things that I enjoy. Because I believe in this science/phenomenon of listing things you're grateful for and feeling and experiencing the positive results in your larger daily life.
So. I'm going to give my list to you in installments of 100. And below is list #1. I hope you like it. I hope you write down things that make you happy, however small. And I hope it helps make you happy, in a big way. Hugs to you.
1. Buttons
2. Coke cans with Santa Claus on them
3. Holding hands
4. Flossing my teeth
5. Seeing someone walking a dog in the morning carrying an actual (non-travel) coffee mug
6. Drinking wine with friends
7. When a gentleman buys me a drink
8. The crunch of kiwi seeds between my teeth
9. Making friendship bracelets
10. Reading books to kids
11. Running
12. The sound of a coffee pot beginning to gurgle and drip on a Saturday morning
13. Being at a live football game -- the sounds, the air, the game, the food, the beer, the cheering, the community -- all of it
14. Sitting in a classroom, listening to lecture, and taking notes*
15. Chick flicks
16. Celebrity sightings -- always unexpected, always over as they begin, always providing a little thrill
17. Reading, reading, reading
18. Falling asleep without setting an alarm
19. Sharing a bed with a cat
20. Talking to a cat
21. Animals
22. When they let you leave the office early
23. Those unexpected situations where the power goes out, or you get lost, or a huge storm keeps you inside a superstore, during which forced bonding and community commence
24. Getting a haircut
25. An album that I can enjoy from start to finish
26. The feminine, sexy feeling I get when I wear perfume
27. Walking the Kansas City Plaza (wrapped in eight layers) to see the Christmas lights
28. The free beer at the end of a brewery tour
29. Being called by a nickname
30. Lifting weights
31. Painting my nails
32. Sitting on my patio
33. Watching "The Little Mermaid" with my niece
34. Playing with Play-Doh
35. Disneyland
36. Disney's California Adventure park
37. Coloring a picture with no regard for "appropriate" colors, but instead with the aim of using all the colors of the rainbow, so the finished product looks rather psychedelic
38. Having a beer with my parents
39. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror or a window and seeing my mom in the reflection
40. Seeing the reactions of people who first see how much my younger brother and I look alike
41. Doing a freelance writing assignment and remembering -- when the check comes -- that I get paid for it
42. Being out to dinner with a boy, or particular friend, and knowing I don't have to even bother reaching for my wallet
43. A simple, small chain/pendant necklace
44. Putting sunscreen on my face, neck and arms in my car before work (in the parking lot at work, not while driving)
45. Vacations with my adult friends
46. Introducing family to friends
47. The fact that my cat, Max, loves people
48. The fact that Max knows who his mother is and loves her the mostest
49. Organizing papers into file boxes and binders and such within my personal life
50. Raking leaves, particularly with a group of people
51. Ditching the rest of the family with my sister-in-law Jenny to get coffee or lunch and bitch about things together
52. Skyping with my brother Patrick and his family
53. Browsing at the library
54. Picking up an item on hold at the library
55. Cross stitching
56. Baking
57. Giving baked goods to men in their 20s/30s and watching them turn into boys
58. Doing dishes
59. Alone time
60. Meeting new people
61. Watching Mizzou Tiger football games with fellow alumni at bars in LA
62. Completely air drying in the sun, after jumping into a pool or swimming in the ocean
63. Being in a car with friends, windows down, music up loud, everyone singing along
64. A bath by candlelight
65. Hotels
66. The movie theater experience -- popcorn, Junior Mints, soda, the dark, the laughs, the drama, the romance
67. Zac Efron's beautiful mug
68. Men. In. Glasses.
69. Sliced banana in vanilla yogurt with cinnamon stirred in
70. Blowing bubbles
71. The first cup of coffee at the office each morning
72. Coworkers who make me laugh
73. Hugs
74. (Sometimes) Grocery shopping
75. Buying things I don't need -- but that are so stinkin' cute -- at Target
76. Being in the same room as Nick, a long time friend. Just sitting on our computers, drinking coffee, coexisting, sometimes commenting on something or making the other watch a YouTube video.
77. Morning talk radio that has me cracking up in my car
78. Going to the lake with Corie and her fam
79. Ham and cheese Hot Pockets
80. White Christmas lights
81. Colored Christmas lights
82. A clean room, or home
83. Being with plants. The smell of soil, watching growth. Green.
84. Praying with my family
85. Being a bridesmaid
86. DANCING
87. Writing
88. When my dad answers the phone by shouting (one of) his nickname(s) for me: "Bling Bling!"
89. Payday
90. Pancakes
91. Spaghetti
92. A cute waiter
93. The way that corpse pose feels after a yoga session
94. Going to bed early
95. Sleepovers with my niece. And pretending to be asleep when she peers over her bed railing to see if I'm awake: "Auntie Bailey???" :)
96. A home that smells like a home cooked meal in fall
97. Striking a match
98. Laughing so hard your face hurts
99. Laughing to yourself about something that happened at another time
100. Playing Dr. Mario on old school Nintendo
And finally, since we've kicked things off here with Positivity, I'd like to once again share this video that talks about thinking about good things, in this case when you're scared/anxious. EN. JOY.
*I'm not kidding. This is legitimately one of my truly happy places.
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