Your Top Ten of 2023 - Part 2
Did you finish your Top Ten List for 2023? If not, go back and do that now.1
When I did the exercise myself, I was a little surprised at how difficult it was for me to choose just ten things. Apparently, I’ve had a very good year!2 ;)
Here’s my list of my Top Ten Highlights from 2023:
Visiting my brother on his birthday (August 25th).
Spending time with family in August and October.
Starting Primrose Ponderings.
Finding the Lone Star Flute Circle (a Native American flute circle).
Learning to play my new flute, Gabriel, whom I bought in January 2023.
Rejoining the Round Rock Community Choir.
Getting my first paid subscriber to Primrose Ponderings!3
Growing some new-to-me plants, especially after some false starts: fish peppers, catnip, sage, calendula, echinacea, chamomile, rosemary.
Discovering ways to optimize my health by making better food choices.
Enjoying my morning coffee while visiting my garden.
How was your list similar or different from mine? Did you find anything surprising in my list?4 Did you find anything surprising from your own list?
Take a look at your list and see if you can detect any patterns. If you can identify what brought you joy in 2023, then you might want to consider seeking out similar joys in 2024.
My list had a few consistent themes: making music, connecting with family, and nature. I already knew that music was important to me, but seeing my list made me realize that I should be putting more effort into my musical endeavors if I want to maximize my happiness. I’m learning more and more how important my family is to me and while that wasn’t entirely surprising, what I did learn is that I need to prioritize connecting with family if I want to include that joy fully in my life. Finally, I’m still learning about the many ways in which nature is healing and healthful. That’s an exciting area which I’ll continue to explore in 2024.
If you didn’t see any patterns in your list or even if you did and want to take this activity a step further, go back to your Top Ten and write down WHY each highlight was worth putting on your list. Why was it a highlight? What was at the core of the activity that put it among your top ten?
Though I could go through each of my items one by one, for the purposes of this exercise, I’ll summarize my own findings: At the core, my why’s are about connections. Family (and friends) is about connecting with another person. Music making is about connecting with my emotions. Being in nature (including my gardening) is about connecting with God (or the Universe or Source, if you prefer). In all three cases, though, I also realized that I’m connecting with a part of myself as seen through the eyes of family/friends, music, and nature/God/Universe.
Ultimately what I learned through this exercise is that if I want to be happier in 2024, I should focus not only the activities that bring me joy, but I also need to seek out the connections within those activities.
What did you learn about how to maximize your happiness in 2024? Drop me a note… I’d love to hear about it! :)
If you missed last week’s newsletter, read “Your Top Ten of 2023” before moving on with this one.
I did indeed have a good year, but I suspect that the reason I was able to think of so many wonderful things from this year was because of my ongoing gratitude practice. The more often we find things to be grateful for, the more we will notice these positive things in our lives.
I won’t mention my friend’s name, but I am forever grateful because having someone commit to supporting my work financially was a really big deal for me. Thanks, friend, for believing in me and in Primrose Ponderings. :)
Some might have found it surprising that I listed “visiting family” without mentioning that my brother died this year and how difficult a journey that was for me. This is a relevant point, but also remember that embracing the “good” in life isn’t downplaying the “less good” things that happen to us. All of our experiences are relevant, but we need not focus on all of them equally at all times.