I recently read (*Let's be real. I went to audible.com and downloaded a free trial version so I could upload a free audiobook. I don't have time to read for fun nor can I afford to actually purchase audio books. I'm in law school. My brain hurts all the time. Nearest library, anyone?) an incredibly depressing book (*read: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. Chic's got a penchant for the morbid.) in which a lot of sad, pathetic, and fatal things happened. It put me in such a funk, I was crabby all day and then decided to make this list of things that I would miss about life if my character were to meet the same catastrophic demise as one of JKR's.
1. Rain.
2. Coffee.
3. Animals - There's nothing better than coming home after a long day to have a cuddly friend waiting for you at the door and cuddling up to you with all their naive unconditional love.
4. Travel.
5. The Pursuit of Knowledge.
6. Self Betterment - It's a great feeling to look back at yourself a year ago and realize how you've grown, sometimes in ways you never thought necessary.
7. Really Great TV Shows/Books/Movies - No better way to relax and forget about the tedious stresses of life.
8. Helping Others - No, but really. This is a great feeling and can be really fun. It's nice to feel useful and needed. It's also nice to be reminded of how great you've got it and to learn what it's like in someone else's shoes.
9. Celebrating Milestones - The only feeling that musters up when I think of attending my friends' and family's impending graduate school graduations, weddings, new jobs, baby showers, engagement parties, house warmings, etc. is JOY. I love seeing people I love succeed and do wonderful things with their lives. It makes me feel cool by association and being included in a celebration makes you feel a part of it.
10. Receiving Compliments from Strangers - Okay, this one is a little vain, I'll admit. But what was the last really sincere and thoughtful compliment that you got from a stranger? These encounters have the tendency to, while they may take you aback, turn the whole day around and leave this little fuzzy feeling inside that creates a memory that lingers for untold time to come. My friend was once approached on a subway in NYC in the least creepy way that this comment is possible and told her that she would have really beautiful children. Nice, right? One time an older man came up to me while I was waiting for the metro and told me that I looked like something straight out of the old movies. Later, when I realized he was comparing me to a young Sally Fields, I wasn't quite as flattered, but it's nice that someone you don't even know will put themselves out on a limb to let you know that something about you struck them in that moment. I try to make a conscious effort to compliment people when I notice their awesome hair/style/etc. I once read that for every piece of praise you receive, you will remember 3 negative things you thought someone directed at you. Someone once told me that everyone should keep a small journal of all the nice things people say to or about you, to counteract this critical negativity that can be human nature. Boss give you some harsh criticism? Open up your praise journal and recall when your friend thanked you for being the most reliable person they know, your crush told you you had great taste in music, your high school teacher told you you had native intelligence, your favorite college professor told you they can't wait to see where you end up in 10 years. That'll show your boss.
11. Thoughtful Gestures from Friends - Similar to 10, this one just kills you with kindness. Think of 5 random, totally unsolicited and purely thoughtful things people in your life have done for you. Once, when I was going through a rough patch, my friend immediately bought a plane ticket to fly from half-way across the country to visit me. Recently, a friend sent me a package with a pound of my favorite coffee that I can't get where I live with inspirational quotes handwritten on it to start my day off right. When I was going to bed on my last birthday, I had an e-mail from Starbucks that a friend had just sent me a $50 e-card to use. In college, my friend and I were going through post-year-abroad and thesis doom, and she hand wrote a bunch of inspirational quotes and a thank you note for being her friend. I still have it displayed on my dresser. An old friend from college was given a trip with a friend to the middle east and she invited me as a graduation gift. From the small to grand gestures, these things keep you going full speed ahead. Get off your butt and go do something nice for someone you appreciate.
12. My Bucket List - Everybody has at least a mental list of things they want to accomplish before they die. Think about yours. Now think about how AWESOME it's going to feel to finally do even one of those things!
13. Meeting New People - Think about the most amazing people in your life. Isn't it cool to think that you're not finished, and that you're going to get to add more incredible human beings to that list?
14. Sunflowers and Snapdragons.
15. When the Leaves Start to Fall at the Beginning of Autumn.
16. Cherry Blossoms Near the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.
17. Baseball Season.
18. Football Season.
19. My iPhone/Mac Products in General - Gotta throw a little materialism in there.
20. Music/Concerts.
Bonus: The Interwebs - Seriously, it's so amazing.
slp
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