Beware the
barrenness
of a
busy
life.
~ Socrates
Two weeks ago as I
was preparing to go out
of town for a long
weekend, I found myself
overwhelmed
with my to-do list.
As I plowed on through
it, a check mark next to
each completed item, it
suddenly occurred to me
that some
very
important
tasks were not
on
that list.
For fun {and as break
from the more mundane
jobs} I made
The
Other
List.
Kiss my husband.
Cuddle my dog.
Laugh with my kids.
Send an I am thinking
of you text to a friend.
Snip a lilac.
Inhale the scent.
Spend five minutes
stretching.
Turn on some music.
Sing.....loudly!
{Yes. Sadly, there
are days when these
gorgeous things
do not happen.}
I noticed that consulting
The Other List as I went
about tackling the regular
docket of chores lifted my
whole need-to-do mentality
to a happier,
brighter
level.
It also helped to insure
that another day would not
go by where I hadn't taken
the time
to
sing
cuddle
laugh
kiss
stretch
love
or appreciate the small
wonders of this journey
that I am so very, very
fortunate to be living.
{I do not want to
be that busy person
who Socrates talked
about!}
And I loved, loved,
loved putting a check
mark next to each
of those things on
my Other List.
What would
you write on
your own
you write on
your own
Other List?
xx
Suzanne
winners of the Novica
34 comments:
Suzanne, your OTHER list is the one I embrace. Fun, spirited, charming. Sometimes my OTHER list gets integrated in with my TO DO list, which works.
Suzanne- What great thoughts- I think that part of my TO DO list would to be just carve out some time for ME...and ME alone..with nothing else on my plate except those moments alone. Great post! xo Diana
Yes, I perhaps do a little too much of the "other" list and not enough of the mundane one.
The dust gathers but the puppy is happy playing fetch :)
Congrat's to the winners - I know Cynthia from Beatnheart, happy for her!
I know someone very dear to me that needs to see this. Today I had a blast with my students but all year long, it has been unbearable. Following ALL THE RULES EVERY MOMENT AND EVERY DAY pushes out the small moments that make life bigger than life and for kids, that is IMPORTANT. But I do know that I must:
stay young
be creative
EMPOWER those in my charge.
The to do lists are made by man, but the things that are more important are divine and I want to be on that side to enjoy my life!
GREAT WORDS MY DEAR, and isn't our weather just fabulous today??? Anita
Oh Suzanne...this is a lovely post! I love how you always get to the heart of things and make me think in such a good way. My attentions have been on my family lately...as it should be. So many great gifts there. Hope you are doing well, my friend! XO
You're so right Suzanne - we need to remind ourselves more often about the 'other' list. I was exactly the same before going away recently, stressed and overwhelmed by everything that needed to be done, and also a little emotional at leaving my little girls behind. The 'other' list makes everything and anything possible. xx
Suzanne I think we must be in the same place. I seem to be nibbled at from so many directions. Top of my list would be to just sit and watch the garden grow. That might take a while.
Great post, Suzanne. As insightful as ever.
My other list - all of your things PLUS never miss an opportunity to tell someone you love them. It's so important to know we are loved (sadly, when I was a child I wasn't told) and we don't know what life will throw at us, so it's important to tell them (family pets included).
xxx
To do lists can be very overwhelming. It's really important to take some time each day to do something that's not on a "to do" list! xxoo
Thank you again for your beautiful thoughts!Today i will enjoy more of the small things in my everyday life..from the other list..so important great words!Best whishes to you from Else Britt in Norway :)
your other list is perfect. we all need to make up one of these lists more often. i am going to try and do this today and think of you while i do. thanks!!
Beautiful post! It really is much more fun checking things off the other list than the To Do list...and much more rewarding. Thanks for the reminder!
beautiful, suzanne!!!! your heart is so in a beautiful place.
at the top of my list is breathe, pray, and stop grabbing. don't hurry but keep moving forward.
happy weekend to you, lovely.
michele
Be sweet to my husband
Help out my friends
Give and then give some more
Love myself
Forgive myself
Forgive others
Move on
Over the moon excited about being chosen for Giveaway.,,
I just love NOVICA!
It's so easy to forget the Other List in the midst of a busy day. Thank you for the lovely reminder!
Suzanne,
Wonderful post and wonderful reminder to focus on what's most important. The "other list" will be there .. waiting. It's a challenge to balance life at times. I guess we need to define PRODUCTIVITY. In a split second, our lives can change. For this reason we need to prioritize carefully.
Enjoy your weekend and Happy Mother's Day!
Leslie
love love the pendant and the lilac photos! your list is so inspiring. this post is so timely as i allowed the busyness to get to me these past couple of weeks. but i remembered the other list and decided to stop and smell the roses, and am i glad i did!
Right. Slow down. Kiss the kid, the cat, the hubs, the awful puppy.
My other list....
Having a long lunch with a friend
Going on a long holiday:)
Meeting all my sisters for lunch
An afternoon just reading a book
To name a few:)
Love this! A needed reminder
We are working on your sign now
Do you have any paint colors you would like it in?
And do you want it framed? I usually distress but
I wouldn't have to if that wasn't your taste??
Happy Friday!
XO
Your Other list is brilliant ; life's most elementary pleasures bring us the greatest satisfaction and sense of well- being. Mine : go as high as I can on a swing, then jump off :) , playing board games with my son, ride a bike , smell the lilac every morning ...Thank you !
Wishing you a sunny Mother's Day !
Your words are very poignant to me right now. Just found out a friend's young and beautiful daughter just lost her battle with cancer. In these moments it's very easy to appreciate life. It's the other 365 days that we have to worry about. Glad you got to cross off both lists!
Suzanne,
this is similar to livin' life like a one year old.
I'm completing a list for now.
Preparing to hop across the pond for the first time ever.
The other list?
Cuddle my cat
Hold a chick
Talk to/pet my Chelsea (corgi)
look at the sky.
take a walk.
run my fingers along a certain strong forearm in my life.
Thanks for helping me to remember.
xo, Cheryl
So important to remember, Suzanne...thanks for the sweet reminder...
Wishing you the loveliest of Mother's Days, dear friend...
Julie
Suzanne,
The busier my life seems to get and the wizzing time of this year has solidified in my more than once that the little moments in life are THE Most important.
At the end of the day our family and friends are all that matter, how sad it would be to think we didn't or couldn't spend an extra five minutes focused on them rather than the dishes, or the Internet.
Happy mothers day, enjoy every precious moment with your family this day!
Xx Elizabeth
Suzanne, I just *love* *love* *love* this place, I hope you know....what a *sweet* oasis you've made here for us all....a soft place to land : )
all the best m'dear....
and sweet, happy mother's day to you : )
Liz~*
happy mothers days ;) !!
The other list is the most important one, isn't it? Thank you for sharing this. I loved it so much. Happy Mothers Day to you : )
Well said -- we must never be too busy to add what really matters to the list!
I've missed you during my vacation - -thanks for coming by!
Timely for me...you won the vintage Religious medal giveaway on my blog and I announced it on the 10th but have not had the time to email you to tell you that YOU WON!!!!!! Just need your address. I'm so glad that you won, because i can just see you wearing it...it's really wonderful. XO, Mona
I get energy from both kinds of list.
Happy Mother's Day, Suzanne.
I think your list sums it up well! That is a list that would be nice to check off and one I need to do more! Especially in this crazy time! We made it to Minnesota!
Oh I so benefited from reading your "other list" simultaneously going on with the to do list mandates... a beautiful and gentle reminder to NOT forget to take care of our joys that nurture US while we are taking care of the needs of others that we love...*rah*! not necessarily in multitasking, but just allowing it all to blend together into one flow....I LIKE it. Thank you dear Suzanne. I enjoyed visiting your Mother's interview... It's an extreme privilege to have such a calling to bring up these treasures...and yet extremely scary sometimes....thinking about your role as God USES you to help shape, not just a person...but a SOUL! Strength from God! Can't live without it! HUGS to you bloggy sis! xoxo
I am in total agreement with you, dear Suzanne! The "other" list is the BIG one, thank you for reminding us...
Love the Socrates quote.
I hope your Mother's Day was fantastic, and I loved reading your interview as well as seeing the beautiful family!
Hugs,
- Irina
This is so brilliant!!! I often carry my "list" in my head, not stopping to write it down, forgetting what should be on the list and then panicking that I didn't accomplish what I should have.
And, I've been thinking that I need to do some goal setting as well. Now, I will make sure that the goals include some of the joys in life. For sometimes, if you don't schedule them in or focus on their importance....they just never happen. And, that's not the kind of journey I want.
Hugs to you!
xoxo Elizabeth
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