Often, the best ideas are born from some self-reflection.
That was the case for Carmel resident Sara Sale.
“I was feeling restless and wasn’t sure where my space was in life,” Sale said. “We have two young boys, so we want to make sure what we’re doing in this life is meaningful.”
Her husband, Mike, said his wife was feeling a bit lost. So he challenged her to make a list of things that make her happy,
“I sat on the front porch and it turned into a good list,” Sale said. “It wasn’t anything that was material. It was the simple things that I love. It made me realize we have a lot of blessings in life. I feel more grounded. We decided to put it in a poster. We searched online and there weren’t a lot of options, so we decide to make it.”
A business idea was born called Twenty Joys, which the couple started in November. They began making posters of different sizes and styles. Sale enjoys computer design.
“Sitting down and reflecting on what makes you happy is at least half of what makes the experience cool,” Sale said.
Sale is a part-time physical therapist and part-time adjunct professor for physical therapy at IUPUI.
Some of the things that made Sale happy was being with family, early morning coffee and conversation with her husband, her kids’ laughter and cuddling her kids.
“Every list has been unique to that person, but it’s been fun from our standpoint,” Sale said. “People can get a list of 10 easily, but a list of 20 is more challenging.”
Sale’s friend, Quinn Bensi, found her list really came into use after witnessing an accident on her way home from work.
“The circumstances were rather traumatic, and I was up all night reliving the events of that evening,” said Bensi, a Carmel resident. “The next morning, I got up and wondered how I could pull myself out of that feeling. Coincidentally, I had been working all week on my 20 joys list, so they were fresh in my mind. Suddenly, I realized that I had a road map already created for how to feel like myself again. By noon that day, I had already completed several of my top 20, and I felt centered again. It’s powerful to have your specific joys spelled out in front of you.”
Mike said the goal is to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Life is Good Kids Foundation.
“I think making the posters continues to help give me a purpose,” said Sale, who enjoys seeing others’ lists.
For more, visit twentyjoys.com.
