Sometimes it can be hard when things are mundane and ultimately ordinary to think about why you are working so hard: in school, in your job, in life. So I compiled a list of some things to remind yourself that it's okay if these things aren't happening right now-- but it's important to look out for the wonderful moments, too. Here are 50 things to stay alive for.
1. Family. And if your biological family is dysfunctional, think of your adopted family. Think of the family you have made along the way- the people that are there for you and you're there for them.
2. Good music. Goosebumps, i tell you.
3. Long Walks outside. Time in nature makes your spirit lift.
4. Snuggle time with your furry friends. Your dog, cat, ferret... they all need love!
5.Making sure that your plants get watered- if you don't take care of them, who will?
6. Little kids' laughs. Such pure little cinnamon rolls.
7. Roadtrips with friends. There's a reason that every teen movie has a roadtrip scene.
8. Passion for what you do. It doesn't matter what you do, but it does matter that you do it in a joyful manner that ultimately makes the work bigger than itself.
9. Good food. There's a reason it's called comfort food. Yum.
10. Movies. There are some really good movies out there.
11. Books, and the communities that often gather around them (lookin' at you, Potterheads)
12. Dancing silly in your kitchen. It's important to not take yourself too seriously.
13. Making goofy faces with a three year old
14. Seeing the sun shine through an old, rustic coffee shop window.
15. Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time.
16. Telling someone you love them the first time, then saying it every time you hang up the phone
17. Retail therapy.
18. Ice cream. (I'd say this is shallow, but ice cream is really, really good)
19. Looking up at the stars at night
20. Being able to talk about the hard things of life with a close friend.
21. Caring about things.
22. Experiencing the seasons each year, and the holidays that accompany them. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter- they come every year but it doesn't feel routine
23. Jumping into a leaf pile you raked with a kid. (can't you hear the squeals of excitement and wonder?)
24. Experiencing a snowflake fall on your tongue.
25. Going to a place you've never been before.
26. Making a new friend.
27. Learning more about the science behind animals and our world.
28. Asking people about their stories.
29. Helping someone you know go through trouble.
30. Making dinner and hearing the sizzle of the skillet as it cooks.
31. Getting glasses for the first time and seeing the leaves on the trees outside
32. Rollercoasters
33. Finding the songs that are "your JAM"
34. Hearing frogs and crickets sing on a summer night
35. Riding on an airplane and getting to see the world from a bird's eye view.
36. Talking to a friend you haven't seen in a long time
37. Being with family over the holidays
38. Making dumb jokes
39. The next season of shows on netflix
40. Helping those who can give you nothing in return
41. The feeling when a whole concert lights up in zippos and iphones and every person has a light representing them
42. The feeling of making a difference
43. The feeling when a new dog trusts you immediately and sits right by you
44. Starbucks releasing a new coffee drink for the holiday seasons
43. Teleportation could be invented in the future, and boy would that be neato.
44. Eating crappy popcorn at the movie theatre to wash it down with soda. Sounds silly, but a classic experience.
45. Seeing the sunrise on an isolated beach
46. Seeing the first snow fall of a season.
47. Watching kids tell their first jokes and you laugh- but because of how bad they tell them
48. Disney's latest sequel to childhood nostalgia
49. The feeling when someone tells you how much you mean to them
50. Knowing that you have, and will continue to make, a positive contribution to the world around you you have come to know and Love.
