For creative work that’s generous, we need fuel. We can’t be generous if we don’t have anything to give. More clearly, we can’t feel and act generously if we feel we have nothing to give. Fuel prices are going up. Validation from strangers is freaking expensive. Validation from loved ones is hard to accept.
We can fuel up for free with a small time and energy commitment. My family makes two lists. We try to do it every day.
- A gratitude list
- A level up list
Gratitude
Make it easy. Make it ludicrous. If I can’t think of anything… “air.” Who cares? This is a list for us. “coffee” usually makes the list. Stupid positivity is better than genius negativity.
Level Up
Leveling up is important in treating life like a game. These are kinda tricky to think of at first, but you get better at it. What’s a thing that happened today that will make tomorrow easier, better, more fun, etc. “got a new shelf” “figured out a new way to respond to email” “finally found a dependable plumber”
The opposite
The opposite of these lists is wishing and playing a narrative of being stuck. This is not about wanting. This is about having. That’s how we get power. We also get power by being able. The level up list shows us that we are moving forward by our own volition. Let’s get listing so we can give more to the world.