What do you like?

Imagine yourself in a storefront with wall to ceiling beads of every shape and color imaginable. And imagine the excitement of a person in that store that makes jewelry. Now imagine the indifference of a person who would be content wearing the same few pieces of jewelry because they match everything.

Of course this happened to me. But the pinnacle of this outing with my jewelry loving friend was this question, “What do you like?” In the midst of thousands of beads, she’s asking me to choose something that I like. I struggled, for several reasons. My lack of directness in choosing a style of bead prompted her to make this comment, “You’re at an age now where you should know what you like and what you don’t like.”

Her statement was packed with power.  We get so tangled up in our spouses, kids, careers, and pursuits that we fail to pinpoint what we really, really like. Some of us like things that we think we will never have, so we never allow ourselves to cultivate the thought of having it. Some things we really really like we may have lost and feel it cannot be regained. Knowing what we like defines us. And having that definition keeps us from getting lost in the responsibilities of life and gives us joy in the midst of chaos.

In most areas of my life, I know exactly what I like. She just happened upon an area I don’t focus on. But her charging me to know what I like was worth that overwhelming 30 minutes surrounded by beads.

What do you like?