The List

It is mid-October in Chicago and the weather is a balmy 74 degrees. A loving wind messes up my hair as I drive, windows wide open. I am listening to a man on the radio relaying a story about his dad. Having come into the conversation after it started, I later gathered the dad and his wife had had a fight and the grown son had been present. The man described how he walked into the room where his dad was seated behind a computer. The son figured his dad was on the Internet but was surprised when he caught sight of the screen that  his dad had actually opened up a word document and seemed to be staring at a list of words.

The son asked his dad what the words were all about. His dad explained that many years ago he had started a list of all the words that reminded him why his wife was a good woman. And every time they would fight, he would go into this document and read the list. He no longer wanted to give up his energy to anger and hatred and he realized the positively worded list no longer allowed for that. He acknowledged that sometimes he was so mad, he would read the first few words and grumble at their inaccuracy. But the further he read, the better he felt.

Who should you make a kind word list for? A partner? A parent? A grumpy neighbor? Can you make
a non-judgmental and kind list for yourself?

"Kind words are short and easy to speak; but their echoes are truly endless." Mother Teresa

I would love for you to grab a pen right now and jot down words on this very page that describe your kindnesses. If you find this a difficult task, know that the Ego has popped in for a visit to question your truth. You may begin to write, "I am loving," when the Ego halts your pen mid-sentence to ask, "But are you? Remember the time..." and off it goes. The Ego is simply a distraction. Keep writing without question. When you find yourself hesitating as though you have run out of more words, keep writing. This will allow the subconscious brain to take over and begin to speak, not from your mind, but from your heart. You may be surprised when you go back and read some of the words your hand wrote down.

"Letting go of your ego opens the door to taking a new and creative course of action." Suzanne Mayo Frindt

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