All About You — Day 13: What Do You Love?
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[For “Day 12: What Are You Good At?,” click here.]
ALL ABOUT YOU — DAY 13:
WHAT DO YOU LOVE?
What you love is not the same thing as what you want or what you are good at. They should be united as one; but, all too often, these three important areas of our lives are stored in separate mental/emotional memory boxes while we go about our daily lives doing things we mostly don’t even like, are not particularly good at, and certainly don’t want to keep on doing all the rest of our lives.
So, we are in the process of brainstorming lists to find patterns in them and unite the strands of our lives that, when bound together, will create the “burning desire” that Napoleon Hill talks about in his excellent self help book Think and Grow Rich.
BRAINSTORMING EXERCISE
1. Preparation
Clear your mind of all other thoughts. If stray thoughts not related to this exercise wander into your mind, let them drift right back out of your mind without paying any special attention to it. (If you think it’s something important that you’re afraid to forget later, just jot it down quickly and let it out of your thoughts again.)
2. Let it All Flow Freely
Use paper or the computer. Whatever is more comfortable for you. Jot down or type everything. Don’t cross out or delete anything (even if you suspect you might have already recorded it). Don’t reread your answers either (or check if you already recorded it) because doing so will break the flow. Just keep going. Ask yourself the question repeatedly and write down every answer that pops into your mind.
Complete this sentence: “I love [to] …”
- a. Stay in the Present
There are probably hundreds of possible answers to this question. I list below the ones that immediately came to my mind as the answers that different people might come up with. Don’t judge yourself based on your own answers. That’s not the point of this exercise. The words you choose are merely clues to help you see and start to understand the bigger picture of who you are right now, right here—as well as who you no longer are or who you would like to be but have not become yet.
- b. Possible Answers
read
write
sleep
stretch
dance
clean
plan
organize
review
brainstorm
lists
reminisce
invent
create
revise
edit
develop
start
finish
good posture
grace
strength
conviction
laugh
smile
play games
fun
Disneyland
scary movies
funny movies
inspirational movies
oldies but goodies
rain
wind
clouds
overcast days
trees
flowers
wild grass
mountains
beaches
campfires
Xmas carols
stories
fitness
walks
hikes
fruit
vegetables
fish
chicken
Korean food
Japanese food
silence
solitude
diaries
photos
reminisce
commune
connect
empathy
sympathy
compassion
passion
anger
fear
honesty
mistakes
learn
grow
feel
freedom
truth
beauty
love
romance
excellence
underdogs
rags to riches
self-made millionaires
hard workers
optimists
strong leaders
supportive followers
problem solvers
popcorn
Popsicles
green tea
good cheer
great comedy
eternal hope
great teachers
great students
great teammates
great friends
puppies and kittens
pugs and puggles
hamsters
style and fashion
modern architecture
minimalist interiors
clean surfaces
black, white, and red
wood, metal, stone, and brick
stare out the window
long drives with old friends
puzzles
riddles
jokes
celebrity gossip
financial tips
competitions
contests
quotes
guessing games
board games
Texas Hold ‘Em
IQ tests
history
literature
philosophy
psychology
biographies
documentaries
recall something forgotten
forgiveness
charity
comfort
courtesy
kindness
generosity
effort
rewards
progress
calculated risks
advancement
overcome setbacks
win against the odds
prove naysayers wrong
rags to riches stories
pride
confidence
ambition
big dreams
big guts to chase big dreams
and the hard work and never-say-die mentality to catch them!
TO BE CONTINUED …
This is going to be an adventurous journey into our past, present, and future lives. None of us can be prepared for what we might find along the way. So, just sit back and enjoy the ride! Also, I hope at least some of you brave souls will share your answers, insights, and revelations in the comments below for everyone’s benefit!
When you’re done, collect your answers and keep them in a safe place. I recommend a diary. It makes a precious gift to someone you love, especially you!
[For “Day 14: What Do You Wish You Could Do?,” click here.]
[For entire “All About You!” series, click here.]
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[For “10 Reasons to Keep a Diary,” click here.]
[For “20 Questions for Your Diary,” click here.]
[For “Requests for Cuckoo in Your Nest!,” click here.]
[For “How to Be an Extrovert,” click here.]
[For “My 10 Commandments,” click here.]
[For “Fan Your Inner Flame Till It Burns Bright,” click here.]
[For “Change Your Mindset to Change Your Life,” click here.]
August 25th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
What a nice series. I can tell you’ve put a lot of time and thought into it. Since I’m a born extrovert, I especially liked your post on How to be an extrovert! This post, ‘what do you love’ is so important! Joseph Campbell says follow your bliss, and I truly believe that’d where the passion and energy lie. Unfortunately, so many of the Vocational tests such as the Strong Interest Inventory and the Kuder are strongly biased toward what you already CAN do, not what you really would LOVE to do. Keep ‘em coming! G.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Hi Grace! Thanks for your comment and very encouraging feedback! I’m going all the way to Day 30 with this series, so I hope you’ll stay for the whole journey! : )