Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Today's List: How To Live Your Life, in Brief

Brianna Wiest, the youngster who wrote The Truth About Everything, has just put together a thoughtful list of 18 pieces of the puzzle that are missing from many lives.

You can find the entire list and the whys and wherefores here, but I'll give you a glimpse in the following paragraphs. I think this will resonate with many of you.

1. Writing things by hand (think "letters").
2. Savoring time to do nothing.
3. Thinking before responding.
4. Cooking a nice meal because you want to.
5. Getting really dressed up for no good reason.
6. Reading real books (the paper kind).
7. Making phone calls to relatives just to say hello.
8. Disconnecting from technology for a bit.
9. Celebrating things with complex dinners rather than drinking too much.

10. Cleaning and being involved in personal projects because it’s therapeutic.
11. Spending memorable time with kids.
12. Answering everything in a timely fashion.
13. Making sure relationships are actually based on time spent together.
14. Quietly listening to music.
15. Traveling by train. Not much explanation needed here, but you'll need to drive to Lynchburg or Clifton Forge to get aboard.
16. Putting your health first.
17. Planning something, especially with someone else.
18. Stopping to talk to people throughout the day.

About Me

Dan Smith is an award-winning journalist in Roanoke, Va., and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. He is an author, photographer, essayist, father and grandfather. Co-founder of Valley Business FRONT magazine and founder of the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference.