Recently I came across a list of things that I love. It cheered me no end to find it, and to realise that even during challenging times, there are still many things that I love and that bring me joy.

The list was completed as an exercise in Julia Cameron’s The Right to Write. It is set up as a way of seeing beyond external dramas in order to connect with what really matters. The approach is simple: grab 30 minutes and a list numbered 1 to 100. And go!

Here are 20 of the things that I love:

10. Cups of tea
12. Something tasty to look forward to
17. Sunsets
18. Sunrises. But slightly less so
22. Many small obsessions
27. Writing. Every. Day.
30. Laughing
34. Soft misty rain
45. Autumn light
46. Old things
55. Remembering places I’ve been
56. Thinking of where I’d like to go
61. Thinking of people that I love
66. Hearing Ella or Billie or Nina sing
68. Connecting with other creative people
78. The values my parents instilled in me
80. The people who come in and out of my life
81. Starry starry nights
83. Knowing that I’m loved
94. Having music around me

This list reminds me that in times of stress, there is much that is still out there to enjoy.

What do you love?