I’ve seen a lot of lists lately, and all of them made some
points I agreed with and some I disagreed with. That is the way the world goes
and I love it. I love it so much that I’ve decided to jump on the band wagon
and make my own list.* These are things that you can do, no matter your race,
socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation, or relationship status.
23 things you should just do, period.
1.
Go explore. I don’t care where you do this, just
do it. Locally, nationally, internationally, or universally (that’s right go to
the moon), there is always something out there that you haven’t seen, so go see
it.
2.
Relax. There is no need to let stress get you
down. If that means talking it out, working it out, or bathing it out, just let
it out!
3.
Brush your teeth. No one wants to smell your
rank morning breath combined with your Olive Garden lunch, so just brush your
teeth.
4.
Love others. This is something Christians are
called to do (Mark 12:31), but I think that this is something everyone should
do. If you are taking care of yourself (relaxing, basic hygiene), it is much
easier to take care of and love others.
5.
Have an open door policy. Be an ear for people
and offer them a blanket to sleep with if they need it. We are all looking to
connect with people, so make it easy for people to connect with you.
6.
Call your mentors. You know those people who
helped you get to where you are? Call them and say thank you. People don’t hear
that enough (unless you help me at Chick-fil-a, in which case I’m overly nice
because you are overly nice).
7.
Volunteer. Everyone has something to offer, so
use your gifts and help others.
8.
Bake a cake. Bake it for yourself, for your
friends, for your less-than-friends, for everyone, because everyone loves cake.
(Disclaimer: If you don’t love cake, I’m sorry I lumped you into this, bake
whatever you like and share it, maybe you’ll meet someone else who doesn’t like
cake and you can overthrow me.)
9.
Find something you are passionate about at this
moment in your life. I’m 20, and in these brief two decades I have wanted to
be; the first woman president, a ballerina, a mom, a teacher, a pop star/Broadway
star/movie star/TV star, and now I want to be a pastor. In another 10 years, I
have no idea what I’ll want to be doing, but right now I know what I’m
passionate about and I’m running with it.
10.
Talk with someone who has a completely different
life story. It is always good to hear stories that you’ve never experienced, it
takes all kinds of people to make this world go round, and instead of
criticizing others, encourage others to be the best they can be.
11.
Friends. Make them, love them, treasure them.
Case closed.
12.
Go garage sale-ing. You find the coolest things,
meet the most interesting people, and it is all discounted! WOOT WOOT!
13.
Sing. Whether it is Taylor Swift, Macklemore, or
some hipster band only you and your friends know about. Whether it is songs of
worship, sadness, or silliness. JUST SING! But I do request that you keep it
amongst you and your friends because I’d feel really bad about laughing at you
during the American Idol auditions.
14.
Write a letter of encouragement. Ingrid
Michaelson has a song that goes, “everybody, everybody wants to love.
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved.” It’s true. Show someone some platonic
love!
15.
Wear a crazy outfit and go bowling. You could do
this by yourself, but it would be WAY more fun to do with friends, trust me, I
speak from experience.
16.
Learn to swim. You don’t want to drown, do you?
And if you already know how to swim, go for a swim, it is a great workout and
low impact on your joints.
17.
Wear an analog watch. Because you’ll feel like
Gatsby and “there ain’t no party like a Gatsby party!” It will also help you
appreciate how far technology has come.
18.
Listen to your favorite childhood songs. Because
it is also a great exercise and it warms your heart.
19.
Draw some mustaches( or as this really cool 5
year old I met says “moose-staches”). Because it will warm your heart, and your
upper lip.
20.
Learn how to do something you always wanted to
learn. Because you’ll feel awesome and accomplished and it can help you make new
friends.
21.
Try a new food. It is a way to adventure without
breaking the bank.
22.
Laugh. REALLY REALLY HARD!!! Like to the point
where tears start falling, your stomach hurts, and no sound can escape your
mouth. It is the best. My sister Stephanie and I laughed like that while she
helped me make this list.
23.
Focus on what matters in life. Building each
other up is way more important and being hyper-critical of others. Let’s help
everyone be the best person they can be no matter what stage of life they are
in.
*And there are 1,000,000,000,000 other things you should or
could do. I won’t tell you what to do, these are just suggestions.
