A Five Things Prompt for You

If you’ve ever thought about joining me for a round of Five Things, here’s a sample of the kind of email you receive daily in the course. The November round of Five Things started on the first, but you can sign up at any time and I’ll get you started with Day 1 and you’ll receive all 30 days of prompts over the next 30 days. The following is an excerpt from the Day 1 email. The intention is to give you a sneak peek of what to expect if you come along.

Dear Beautiful Soul,

Before you begin, pause and take a deep breath. Let yourself be here in this moment as you read today’s note. 

A Few Words About Listing

I share a version of this at the beginning of every round of Five Things because I think it is so important to remind you why we're here: to find space for ourselves in the middle of whatever the day brings.

I believe that the act of pausing and writing a list can help you slow down your thoughts (especially if they tend to whir inside you) and focus your attention to just one thing - writing a list. 

And here's what I want you to remember: you decide what a list looks like.

Yes, in this course we list five things every day. AND. You decide what you do with your list. Some days you might write five words or five sentences or even five paragraphs. Other days you might jot down stories or memories or thoughts you don't want to forget. You might use five photos on another day. Other days you might just read the prompt and list things in your head. There are no rules that must be followed. The prompts will guide you, but you can turn these prompts into whatever you need them to be. And if you ever get stuck, just connect with me. I'm over here.

This Month's Theme

With some rounds of Five Things, I begin with an intention or a guiding quote or poem. Sometimes this intention reveals itself as I gather the prompts and inspiration. This month, even though it felt so on the nose with November including the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, gratitude kept insisting it wanted to join us again this month, just as we did this time last year. Our prompts will be different from previous rounds (of course there will be a few favorites we return to) and you'll see ways in which other themes like self-compassion and presence show up too.

I really hope this month feels like a space of kindness, hope, and softness for you.

Let's begin.

Whether this is the first time you've joined me for a course or you participate in just about every new round of Five Things, I love that right now we get to make the choice to be open to whatever is to come as we spend this month together. We are starting something new - side by side. And there is so much possibility waiting for us.

Let this month and listing practice be what it needs to be for you. I'll be beside you the whole time with ideas and inspiration. Let's list! 

Today's prompt: Five things you want to welcome into this month.

Today's prompt is a warm-up of sorts, but before we get to it, I want to tell you a quick story.

My kid Avery and I have been having a lot of conversations about how certain places and spaces make us feel and why we are drawn to them. Recently, we were visiting our friend Kelly and before we left town, we stopped at a coffee shop. The barista was very friendly and patient with us as we were figuring out the menu. As we walked toward the other end of the counter to wait for our food and drinks, Avery said, "I want to be friends with her." Then as we stood there, we watched several people help each other with things and others chatting away with friends. As we were walking out with hands full, someone who was actually already in line stepped out of line so she could open the door for us. 

When we got into the car with our goodies, Avery said something about wanting to come back when we visit Kelly in a few weeks. I agreed. And then we talked about what it was that made us like the place so much. She said, "Everyone was so welcoming."

We were inside that coffee shop for less than 10 minutes but felt at home - and we were simply stopping by to take coffee, hot cocoa, and croissants to go.

As you think about this next month, my hope for you is that you feel welcome - here in this space but also in your corner of the world. I hope you'll feel at home. So let's reflect for a bit on what you yourself can welcome into your world to help you feel at home.

Think about what you want to experience this month, what feelings you hope to have, what small shifts you might want to try, what habits you might want to return to or continue, and so on. What would you, if you could, welcome through your front door this month? Put pen to paper and make a list of whatever comes up for you.

Here's mine that I'll add to my journal

Our Daily Five

Every day in Five Things I share a list like this one of inspiration, poetry, a quote, and so on.

1. A song: Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
2. A poem: Love After Love by Derek Walcott (because you can't read this one too often)
3. Another poem: The Kibran poem today's quote is from
4. Just in case you need it: Patrick Stewart's Soliloquy on B
5. Download today's quote here and then print it out and add it to your journal

Whether you decide to join Five Things or simply explore this prompt and set some intentions for this month or even for the week, I'm so glad we're side by side taking time to pause and notice and live from a place of attention. If you want to sign up for Five Things, head over here.