Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

What She Said

Home
Family, Parenting and Religion
Making a (different) list…

Making a (different) list…

Last updated on: December 15, 2011 at 11:52 am by Trish Ryan

Making a (different) list… 2011-12-15T11:52:23-05:00 Trish Ryan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m in a season of re-reading books that have inspired me. I blogged about Po Bronson’s book over at What She Read. I’m halfway through this book about Zappos. And next in line is Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project.

One new take-home for me from the Zappos book is a way to discern what I value. The author,Tony Hsieh, suggests an exercise:

Think about the people you admire…and the people you don’t. Write down the qualities that stand out in both categories, he says, and this will give you a sense of what matters most to you…and what you want to steer clear of. I love a good exercise, so I tried it. The results were spot-on, and I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have this in a concise list.

Here is a sample. It’s a fun reminder of my friends’ best qualities…and the ways I’m asking God to make me more like them. They are:

1. Enthusiastically Jesus-ey.

2. Light and humor-filled in their approach to life.

3. Risk-takers. They might be scared, but they do it anyway.

4. Unembarrassed by how God blesses them.

5. Champions of high expectations.

6. Encouraging. They truly believe that what is impossible with man is possible with God.

7. Resilient, with a proven ability to bounce back and thrive.

8. Discerning and Brave. They have the courage and faith to leave bad situations.

9. Confident, embracing who they are.

10. Wise. They use resources & opportunities optimally.

There are a few more, but you get the idea. I’m surprised by how clearly recognizing the best in others helps me reach for the best in myself. (Nicely played, God!)

I’ve always believed that we have to take extra care in choosing the people we follow, because we will end up where they are. This was a fun reminder that this can be an encouragement, not just a warning.

What are the best qualities in the people you admire? Where are the places you don’t want to end up? As we approach Christmas, and all that Jesus offers, this is a good time to ask God to help you make a list…and check it twice 🙂

The Happiness Project

Previous Post

December 15, 2011

The Perfect Moment

Next Post

December 15, 2011 Singing the Down on Myself Blues

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Elijah call down from heaven to defeat the prophets of Baal?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Wind Rain Water Fire