WRITING PROMPTS
Favorite Things Right Now: Summer 2023
A seasonal exercise in gratitude for the top 10 things in my life
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I’m launching this new quarterly self-reflection to track what means a lot to me during various chapters of life. It’s directly inspired by writer Laura Tremaine, who runs this feature on her podcast, 10 Things to Tell You.
The whole premise of her podcast is to make you think more deeply so you can connect more deeply—both with yourself and with others. That’s why each episode centers around a topic with 10 related prompts or questions.
I find the “Favorite Things” feature consistently fun and engaging because it’s about celebrating what brings you joy and what you’re grateful for.
After several years of listening to Laura’s favorite things, I decided to start reflecting upon my own. This proved to be such a joyful endeavor! I could simply bury these reflections in my journal, but I want to expand that gratitude outward in the hopes that others try the exercise for themselves. It’s a warm feeling I want everyone to experience, especially since it’s so easy to come by.
(And if you’re encouraged to share your own Favorite Things, please tag me in the post so I can read and respond! Or feel free to comment with a few of your own.)
01—In Times New Roman…
This is the new album by Queens of the Stone Age. It was released on June 16, and highly anticipated by Yours Truly. Not only are they one of my all-time favorite bands; their last album came out a whopping six years ago, and I’ve been dying for some new Josh Homme material.
Every time I start a new chapter of life, I choose an album to be my personal soundtrack. I play it pretty much nonstop so as to saturate those memories and experiences with specific songs. Playing the music later on makes it easier to recall those memories. This is the album I chose as the soundtrack for my current chapter—which consists of a leave of absence for nearly three months while I recover from a spinal injury.
It’s genuinely difficult to pick a favorite track, but I’ll go with “Paper Machete” because I love the fun energy. Runners Up are “Negative Space”…
