Love Life List

I hope you love your one beautiful life.

That you wake up feeling immense gratitude for where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing in your life. I say this because I know far too well how easy it is to get wonky about my one beautiful life. I’ve got all these things to be thankful for but I lack contentment.

my parents in austin

Instead of thanking God for my one beautiful life ~ I feel sullen, depressed, and maybe every angry that things aren’t working out for me the way I’d like. Instead of looking over my life with joy at my assignment, I look at hers and wonder why God hasn’t given me this or that. Plain vanilla jealousy will do it.

apollo

It’s such a waste of time and energy thinking over things that aren’t mine instead of looking at all my blessings and giving thanks.

will & vintage books

Years ago, I started making ‘love life‘ lists in my journals. Nothing fancy, just listing things that make me love my one beautiful life. Such a settling exercise that I thought to share it with you.

Here’s how it goes. Just number down the page from 1-25 and list things you love about your life.

love life list // 12-09-15

  1. a live Christmas tree
  2. little black cat madeleine
  3. a good, sound night’s rest
  4. yellow finches on the bird feeder
  5. vintage patio chairs painted tiffany blue
  6. purple snap dragons popping up in the front bed
  7. oh … Austin
  8. and my parents living in Austin
  9. crazy, large & fabulous extended family in Austin
  10. my sister
  11. thank You, God, for Lone Star Stables
  12. riding cute Apollo (Taylor’s bay gelding at LSS)
  13. lovely, old books stacked on the shelf
  14. Andrew Forrester (who shares his favorite books with me)
  15. Megan Forrester  (Andrew’s darling wife who is my niece)
  16. the big Smith & Hawken (Craigslist find) table in the backyard
  17. Laura (my editor)
  18. Will
  19. russell and hazel paper goods
  20. my fancy pants birthday gift coffee maker from Williams Sonoma
  21. old marble lamps
  22. pumpkin bread mornings
  23. potted pink geraniums scattered across the backyard
  24. ACF
  25. the red leaved Spanish oak tree in my neighbor’s front yard

So there. My love life list.

I do it quickly, not overthinking it. And when I’m done, I sigh and fall into contentment again.

madeleine

Maybe you’ll find contentment too with a love life list?