The latest issue of
*Książki. Magazyn do czytania* presents “99 Other Things That Make the World More Bearable.” The writers have compiled a list of objects, books, songs, phenomena, and other aspects of reality that make life more pleasant, easier, and more interesting.
If you feel like heading to the newsstand to find out exactly what made the list—go for it! But today, what I’m most curious about is: what would be on your personal list?
How would you go about making it—would it be easy, or would you have to search your mind for a moment?
What emotions would writing down and reviewing these items evoke?
A list of things that bring joy
My list includes, among other things, notebooks, the schizoid.in radio, dog noses, and potato dumplings.
What does thinking about them give me? A reminder that life isn’t just about important decisions, difficult choices, serious troubles, and successes big and small. It isn’t just about constant improvement, personal growth, learning from mistakes, or long journeys.
Life is also about these little things. Wide, cool stairwells in the summer. Comfortable sneakers. A cat curled up in a ball.
What if these little things are no less important than our life milestones: a promotion at work, a wedding, an important public speech?
What if we can also draw energy from them, not just in the moment they happen, but for longer, by remembering them?
How does reflecting on them regularly change us day by day, both at work and in our personal lives?
How do we view ourselves through the lens of these experiences…?
What truly nourishes me?
Sometimes making such a list comes easily. Other times, the thought strikes: “I don’t know what else brings me joy” or “I feel like everything is too much.” This is also important information about how exhausted we are today, overwhelmed by roles, expectations, and the daily struggle to “keep up with the world.”
In my work with women, I often see how gradually reconnecting with what truly nourishes us—as opposed to what merely “should bring joy”—becomes the start of very concrete changes—in work, relationships, and the way we think about ourselves. A list of things that make the world more bearable can be the first, quiet step toward asking: what do I want more of for myself, and what do I want less of? And where in all of this is there room for me?
If you feel like you want to look at your life from this perspective—calmly, at your own pace—you can take advantage of coaching for women. Take the first step and see how I can support you.
