What’s your favorite meal? What was your favorite way to play outside as a kid? What does your favorite memory smell like?
These are questions that are part of the culture in my house. When my kids were growing up, I asked about their favorite moment of the day, their favorite interaction with a friend, or their favorite moment to be away from me (this question was born during the teenage years).
I ask about favorites because it’s so easy to complain, to focus on the negative, or to harbor resentments and focus on injustice. I knew I was going to be that small voice in the back of my kids’ mind for decades to come. I wanted that voice to be about seeing the good stuff.
Today, I give you 52 ways to ask, “What’s your favorite?”
- I designed this episode to be used on road trips. Listen to me ask the favorite’s question, pause the podcast, and go around the circle with answers.
- There are no rules. Your conversation will get diverted. That’s great!
- The Favorites Game will always be here for you, if and when your conversation slows down and you want another favorite prompt from me. I hope you enjoy playing the game as much as my family does.
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Why play The Favorites Game?
The Favorites Game isn’t just for long car rides. I find the game works in all sorts of occasions. It’s a great ice breaker at a party where I don’t know anyone. It’s fun to play over and over because your favorite things change, and it’s a nice way to get a reality update about what your favorite people love about living on planet earth.
It’s also a huge moment of comfort and reset when my grandchildren get into the car after we’ve had a big day of playing in the sun, I hand them a snack and I ask, “What was your favorite part?” It’s way better than the hangry complaints I got from my own kids before I started playing the game.
Try this:
This week’s habit for your happily ever after is to play the game with someone you love, someone brand new, or someone with whom you don’t know what else to talk about.
In the episode, I ask you 52 “What’s your favorite?” questions. Listen and pause after each question to give your answers, or purchase a Favorites Game card deck here.
Date Night Discussion
I’m going to invite you to talk about what creates preference. What makes something your favorite?
Here’s an example:
The first time my son-in-law (who, at that time was merely my daughter’s boyfriend) joined us on a family road trip, my daughter asked to play The Favorites Game as we drove home from our adventure.
I began asking my questions. What’s your favorite smell? What’s your favorite time of year? And then I asked, “What’s your favorite view?”
There were five of us in the car, myself, my husband, my two kids, and this new boyfriend. All five of us named the exact same view: the view from our dining room window.
Now, I will admit we have a gorgeous view. We live in a valley, and we’re surrounded by 360 degrees of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. But we’d just driven over the continental divide! One of the great views in the nation.
Our family has visited Alaskan glaciers, and rafted The Grand Canyon. Certainly we’ve seen more spectacular views than The Bookcliff Range of mountains that face our home.
Why did we ALL pick that view?
That’s when we had a long conversation about what creates your favorite things. We all decided that familiarity is a huge contributor to whether or not something becomes a favorite.
And because familiarity has a huge impact on what becomes your favorite, your favorite things will change over time. If you can believe it, my favorite meal is now the vegetable stir fry that used to be on my list of “healthy, but not so tasty” foods.
I had a year of illness when that was the safest food for me to eat. Not only did that food make me feel better and better and better, I also got better at making it. Viola! Favorite meal replaced!
How about you?
How have your favorite things changed over time? I’m eager to know everything you want to tell me about your favorites: now and in the past.
Don’t forget to tell me about your favorite favorites by texting me at 970-210-4480.
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