BLISS LIST

Never mind your bucket list for a moment. What’s on your bliss list? 

What do you really enjoy doing when you have a little extra time? Or maybe better, what would you do if you had some “free” time? Maybe you’ve already answered these questions. Maybe you’re doing them. If so, fantastic! If not, please read on. 

Even with our blisses, we do well to establish a practice. In fact, I think establishing a practice is the key to any significant success with them. Nothing wrong with doing something on our bliss list only occasionally and just for fun. But if we want to experience the joy that comes with getting really good at it, it requires something more, right? 

 So how do we create such a practice? For me, I “17 it!” That is, I agree with myself to do it for just 17 minutes a day. Often, by then I’ll get into it and spend significantly more time. But all of us can find a small block of time to call our own if we really want to. (Why 17? It works for me. Not too short but not too long. Goldilocks thinking). After all, we spend our entire lives doing daily what comes as the result of the decisions made or in the making--be they big or little, ancient or recent.

Once you’ve committed, don’t think. Just do it. Later, we can reflect on what we’ve accomplished and how good it feels. But do it today. Then again tomorrow. At first it may be helpful to make our commitment to the practice itself. As neuroscientists and behavioral therapists will attest, our brains love to work this way. Good news: If we keep the practice going we keep the feeling going, too. It's self-inspiring. Intrinsically motivating. Even therapeutic. 

 Why identify our bliss list and then “17 it!” Many reasons: 1. We can get really good at something we love. 2. Like God, we create things that come from our core. 3. We feel good about that piece of our lives and it literally lifts our spirits. 4. Doing so contributes to our health (mental/physical/emotional/spiritual). 5. A little bit of it spills over into everything we think, say and do. 6. We bring our healthiest and most authentic presence to the world each day. That’s powerful. 

And empowering. 

TODAY.

LET’S DO THE WORLD & OURSELVES A FAVOR.

LET’S TAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE THINK.