Favorite Things

Last evening during the 2015 Oscars celebration, Lady Gaga sang a 50th anniversary tribute to the movie The Sound of Music, a 1965 American musical film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

Thinking back to the first time I saw the stage version of that musical (which I'd actually auditioned for and didn't get... *sigh), I remember one song that always made me smile: My Favorite Things. I liked the song because it was about remembering those things which bring us happiness. Sometimes, just thinking about our favorite things can help put us into a spirit of appreciation, which reminds us to be thankful for what we have and love.

So on a semi-regular basis (especially on those "down days"), I will start a list of my Favorite Things, and soon I will start to feel lighter... or, as Julie Andrews' character puts it—"...then I don't feel so bad."

Although my most recent list doesn't contain Raindrops on Roses or Whiskers on Kittens (listen to the song), it does contain many things that give me a lift whenever I think of them. So here's a recent list of my 50 Favorite Things. How many of these things can you relate to?

1. Sitting around a campfire
2. A fresh cup of coffee
3. Warm fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies
4. The feeling right after good exercise: body buzzing with life and energy!
5. Staying up late with friends talking, telling stories, and laughing until my face aches
6. Going for a walk through freshly fallen snow while it’s still soft and sparkly
7. The anticipation at the beginning of any game, show, or concert
8. The holidays and that renewed feeling of appreciation
9. Comfortable shoes
10. Music that makes my body want to move
11. Moments of peace and quiet
12. Moments of loud crazy fun
13. Prolific pontification stimulating engagement in apophenia
14. Cool stuff that lights up
15. One of those excellent books you can’t wait to keep reading
16. A personal epiphany—or "light bulb moment"
17. Bacon
18. A new haircut
19. The fact that I don’t know how to file my tax return, I don’t want to know how to file my tax return, and I am happy to pay someone to do it each year
20. That my family are best friends and my best friends are family
21. Trees
22. Being by water, over water, under water, on the water, in the water... etc.
23. Traveling. Anywhere. Especially places with mountains
24. That feeling right after watching a really good film where you were transported to another world and having to adjust back to “reality” (whatever that is...)
25. Things I don’t understand or never seen/heard/thought of before
26. Muse driving, muse walking, muse traveling, muse (anything): just following my nose
27. The unexpected
28. The expected
29. Making lists of favorite things
30. Meeting people who change my life
31. Freedom of choice
32. Starting with an idea, expanding the idea, trying different approaches, revising the idea, adding more to the idea, refining the idea, review, rewrite, spell check, run past a friend for feedback, revise, edit, and then realize your final product has changed drastically and looks only remotely like your original idea, but the process was well worth it and now your idea is absolutely awesome!! (still with me...?)
33. Playing cards and board games with my parents
34. A blank piece of paper
35. A new baseball cap
36. Heights
37. Walking through busy airports while Lisa Gerrard serenades me from my iPod
38. Lying on my bed staring at the ceiling while Lisa Gerrard serenades me from my iPod
39. Lisa Gerrard
40. Remembering that we are all a version of source (God) energy in human form, and that we are creating our experience with every thought, word, and deed
41. Making someone’s day by not doing anything but spending time with them
42. Someone making my day by not doing anything but spending time with me
43. Puppies
44. When I get a check in the mail and don’t know how much it’s for
45. When I get a check in the mail and know how much it’s for
46. Trying something new that excites and scares me at the same time
47. The feeling of starting a new project
48. The feeling of completing a project
49. Sitting and talking
50. Sitting and listening

How about you? What are some of your Favorite Things? Try making a list and see how you feel after you read it. Perhaps you, too, will experience the feeling of alignment and happiness that comes with appreciation.

To Your Better Balance!

Michael Thomas Sunnarborg

Need some inspiration? Pick up a copy of 21 Days, Steps & Keys, or one of the other books in the balance series, and start off 2015 by finding better balance in your career, relationships, and life. You can also tune into Michael's recent radio interview with Sharvette Mitchell at: bit.ly/15H2MRK (Michael starts after 31:00).

Michael Thomas Sunnarborg is an educator, best-selling author, and certified life coach. His passion is to help people reclaim their power of choice and find better balance in their work, relationships, and life. You can follow Michael on Facebook and Twitter, or find out more at michaelsunnarborg.com

Image compliments of post-movie.net