When I was a kid I used to write lists of things I liked. Even though I’m an adult, I still think writing lists of stuff (as opposed to your work tasks or what you need from the supermarket) can be very cathartic. A list like this can remind you to practice a little gratitude and it can conjure up happy memories of people or places. When you’ve got the grumps, you can whip out your list and smile… so why not try it? Make yourself a cup of tea, maybe get some chocolate, find a nice notebook and a pencil (no, the back of an envelope will not suffice) and write your list of things you like. I have a couple of rules though:
1) Don’t include individual people on your list. So don’t name all 17 of your cats!
2) Don’t put music tracks you like. This is a whole separate list! Same goes for films.
3) Do put things you like doing, places you like, situations you like, foods you like, stuff you like reading about…
Here’s mine (in no particular order) and I’ve added in some helpful links!
- Yoga
- Birds of prey
- Pizza (gluten free of course) – I have these babies on repeat order!
- Cats (and all the cuddling opportunities therein!)
- Big cats
- Garden birds
- Sunsets
- Kissing in the rain
- Wearing my pyjamas all day
- Taking a bath
- Washing my hair
- Getting my nails done
- Beautiful shoes
- Beautiful views
- Great conversation
- Dinner with friends
- Cooking
- Cake (making and eating)
- Watching the entire BBC version of Pride & Prejudice in one go
- Reading yoga books
- Reading trashy novels
- Waking up late (not lounging around in bed, just waking up late)
- Real genuine belly laughs (mine or anyone else)
- Knitting
- Little boxes
- That smell when you walk into a hippy-type shop like Aquarius in Malvern, or Huckleberry Willow in Chesterfield (is that even still there? Yup, apparently so!)
- Hugs
- Americano – black
- Peppermint tea (it’s an obsession)
- Flowers in my garden (the more colour, the better – honeysuckle, hydrangea and roses)
- Trees (big ones, small ones – it doesn’t matter)
- Midwinter Stonehenge Strawberry pottery (again, it’s an obsession)
- Baking bread
- Geocaching
- Feeling the warmth of the sun on my face
- Swimming in the sea
- Riding my mountain bike
- Walking on the Malvern Hills
- The Peak District
- The Lake District
- Lyon
- Playing in Newent Orchestra and feeling just a tiny part of that huge, powerful sound and almost being reduced to tears by it… thinking particularly of the time we played in Gloucester Cathedral
- The Bran Tub in Malvern. It’s like Mecca.
- Coming home
- Cuddling up in bed when it’s absolutely freezing outside
- Proper traditional quilts
- Autumn leaves
- Beer
- Growing our own vegetables
- Bees
- Getting ready to go out
- Dancing like a demon
- Cranking up the music in my car… or house
- Speaking French
- Hats
Now I’ve started, I could go on for hours. I guess it’s a way for my readers to get to know me a bit more… but at the same time I urge you to write a list like this. It’s fun! Feel free to share yours.
Malvern Wells Yoga 