What’s On Your List?
Real
The To Do List
Count Your Blessings
Smile
Laugh
Hug Someone
Write
Be Thankful
Love
Hope
Breathe Deeply
Be Happy
Always Look Up
Pray For Someone
Be Content
Keep In Touch
The “real” to do list. I don’t know where
it came from, but I saw it once on the
internet, the land of infinite possibilities.
As a person who is constantly jotting down
reminders and lists, this is one list that
intrigued me. I keep enough to-do lists to
make your head spin: a do at work list,
do this week list, do this weekend list, do
soon list, do sometime in the near future
list and a running do in my life list, a
bucket list of sorts.
I’ve never heard of a “real” to do list,
what’s this all about? The list contained
about a dozen very simple tasks, some of
which listed were: breathe deeply, smile,
laugh, count your blessings, hope, hug
your children and love. That’s it? That’s the
“real” to do list? It’s that easy?
The list stuck in the forefront of my mind
for a few days. Words randomly drifted
through my head. Breathe deeply. Hug
someone. Count your blessings. These
tasks should be a part of each day but how
many times does the opportunity float by
before we grab it? What basic needs were
I missing out on? What have I become
so busy with that I have forgotten these
simple tasks necessary for my happiness,
my health, my spirituality? Sure, I’m
generally an upbeat person, but am I truly
nourishing my soul? What am I missing
here?
I became obsessed with writing my
own “real” to do list. By habit, I wanted
to write this down, desperate not to let
this become some short-lived resolution
that quickly escaped my limited brain
space. What did I truly feel I needed to
do regularly to feed my soul and boost my
happiness? It wasn’t easy. One would think
“make money” would come to the top of
the list. Sure, I’d love a fat checkbook, who
wouldn’t? Realistically though, what were
the basic necessities for a well-rounded
spirit? After much thought, I came up with
my own “real” to do list:
• Count your blessings
• Smile
• Laugh
• Hug someone
• Write
• Be thankful
• Love
• Hope
• Breathe deeply
• Be happy
• Always look up
• Be content
• Pray for someone
• Keep in touch
I could have kept on writing but realized
that I needed to keep my list manageable
and limit it to those items most important
to me. I printed off several copies of my
“real” to do list and posted them where
I would see them often. These subtle
reminders are often all I need to take a
detour off of the frantic highway of life for a
soul nurturing pit stop. After I’ve topped off
my tank of happiness, it’s back on the road
for another exciting ride.
vBy Julie Eickhoff
HERVOICEvMAY/JUNE 2016v5