by Iris Ruth Pastor
Why am I so enamored by Lists?
Lists! I love thinking about them. I love making them. I love organizing them. And I LOVE crossing items OFF of them!
Why am I so enamored by Lists?
Lists quantify and provide a sense of progress and completeness.
Lists simplify – breaking down information into easily digestible bite-size chunks, reducing decision fatigue.
Lists create order in a world which is often messy and the amount of information at our fingertips feels overwhelming.
Lists turn a heap of scattered thoughts and ideas into organized mental compartments – heightening our sense of control.
Humans have been exposed to lists for a very long time.
Think: The Ten Commandments – Moses received them on Mount Sinai thousands of years ago and they are still recognized around the world. And the list isn’t just prohibitions – they are guideposts too.
In Judaism, the Ten Commandments, also called Aseret Ha-Dibrot (Ten Utterances), are not just a list of random rules. It represents a covenant between God and the Jewish people where the first commandment establishes our relationship with God and the remaining nine commandments guide us on how to treat one another.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS:
- I am the Lord your God.
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (do not lie about others).
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, spouse, or possessions.
Here is an entirely different list you may find interesting. It’s from an interim principal speaking at a middle school graduation in Millburn, New Jersey. She was sharing with her students – through a list – some guidelines for going forward onto high school.
DR. JILL SACK’S ADVICE TO THE CLASS OF 2030: • Be Kind to people and to yourself • Surround Yourself with good people who lift you up • Be Creative – use your imagination • Be On Time or early • Have A Positive Attitude • Keep Trying – it’s okay to fail • Don’t Press Send before carefully thinking • Answer when someone says hello • Show Up!
I’ve made grocery lists, packing lists, bucket lists, gratitude lists and plenty of to-do lists. And I am convinced that good lists don’t just organize our days. The best ones organize our lives.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom, —Iris
