Audiobooks keep me sane on the road. I am a kinder and somewhat slower driver when I listen to books. It means I arrive at my destination fuelled by dopamine rather than norepinephrine. In case you were wondering, norepinephrine is the neurotransmitter responsible for emotions such as anger. Just don’t ask me to pronounce it.
I’m a self-confessed self-help junkie on the road. Luckily, breathalysers don’t register this drug yet, otherwise I could be in a bit of strife. Like people who assiduously follow their horoscopes yet don’t believe in it, I have the same relationship to self-help. Luckily for me, there are a couple of authors in this game who are equally sceptical, which makes it fun to listen to them.
Recently, I discovered Jon Acuff with titles such as ‘Finish’, ‘Soundtracks: the surprising solution to overthinking’ and ‘All it takes is a goal.’ Like all American authors writing in this genre, his books are padded with stories and every step is broken down into micro steps to reach the word count of the book. At the heart of each book, there is a good idea that’s explored which, if acted upon, has the potential of significant benefit. However, these authors know that good intentions rarely make it past the starting block and so they write a new book to motivate the reader to have another go. At least Jon Acuff sees his own flaws, makes dad jokes and puns, which keep me amused as I hurtle down the freeway. And there’s always a gem or two to hold on to.
One exercise in his book is to make a list of your best moments. There are a few reasons he suggests this. First, when you see all your best moments, you can’t help but be grateful for all the wonderful things you have had in your life. It also focuses your mind on what you value and what you would like your life to be like. He then asks the reader to categorise these best moments into experiences, accomplishments, relationships and objects. Whichever list is the longest will let you know where your values lie. For him it was achievements, for me, experiences. Rarely, if ever, do you find people whose best moments centre around objects. This makes sense intuitively, yet Western culture is predicated on convincing us to consume more.
Here are a few of my favourite moments in random order.
- Laughing with friends
- Writing
- Walking the dog
- Drinking a cup of hot tea
- Helping others without them knowing
- Playing board games with my family
- Going on a retreat
- Visiting good friends
- Coming across cows at the bus stop in Switzerland
- Listening to birds
- Falling in love
- Finishing my memoir
- Smelling the pages of a book
- Snow crunching beneath my boots
What would make your favourite moments list?
From Quill to Quote 