Creating Your To-Be List

“Doing nothing is happiness for children and misery for old men.” ~ Victor Hugo.

We make To-Do lists, and yet has anyone ever created a To-Be list? We are human beings, not human doings, so why do we forget that being is as important as doing?

We add grocery shopping to our To-Do list, as well as creating a list of people to call. We add exercise and administration, cleaning and proposals.

But what about You amongst all of that? Where are you, the Being behind the Doing? How are you feeling, how are you being, while you do?

Children are great at being! They are emotive, expressive and present. Somewhere along the line, though, we were told that being was not enough. It was wrong simply to be, perhaps selfish or self-centered. Idle hands are the work of the Devil! Doing was where our value and self-worth lied. So much so, it has now become a collectiive obsession of humanity.

And this obsession impacts our health and wellbeing. We have become stressed by our to-do list. We feel tired and resentful. Our to-do’s only release their grip when we fall asleep…

….but then our alarm goes off, and what is the first thing that pops in our mind…?

“Knowing that there is no point of arrival is to be in flow.” ~ Deepak Chopra

We have become a society that has forgotten the meaning of life. We forget we are only here for a short time. If we would remember to look up into the sky once in a while, pause, take a breath and consider that we are a speck on a blue and green ball, floating in this grand universe, we would remind ourselves that perhaps life isn’t all about accomplishing tasks, but rather enjoying the ride.

What if the You behind the list got equal, if not more attention than the list itself? What if being was made a priority in the same way we make doing? How would you then like to be?

Perhaps calm, or curious, or engaged or expressive? Maybe it’s care-free, or passionate, or fluid, or assertive? Or maybe it’s trusting, intuitive, receptive or quiet.

Creating Your To-Be List

What would be different if you made a To-Be list? It could be as simple as taking a moment when you wake up in the morning to consciously choose how you want to be throughout the day. Think about your to-do’s, and also ask yourself how you want to be as you do.

You could also write down a list of qualities you’d like to embody, or feelings you’d like to feel. Write them down on a simple piece of paper or make it fancy and creative, and then place it on your wall. You could also make a collage or alter that has images or symbols that represent how you want to be. Visual structures are powerful ways to remind us of our intentions.

Try it out for a day and see what happens! You may find that placing your attention on how you want to be will infuse new positive energy and outcomes in your day.

Happy Being everyone!

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Related Training:

Remembering to Play ~ Inspiring Joy, Freedom & Self-Care
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