Bucket list-Do you have one?

Have you ever thought about your bucket list and what’s on yours?

I ask this question because, through the various conversations I’ve encountered, I’m often told that’s on my bucket list to accomplish.

They are shocked that I don’t have one when asked if I have one.

As you and I wake up each day, what continues to call your name about something you want to accomplish?

Knowing that a bucket list for all practical purposes is “a list of experiences someone wants to have at some point in their life.”

With that said, how driven are you to want or have a specific experience?

What would it mean to have that experience?

We often hear, “What Would You Do if You Couldn’t Fail?”

Think about that for a moment, and while you are thinking, what options are playing out as your soundtrack?

My youngest sister recently celebrated a Birthday this past weekend and shared some wisdom with me when I asked her how she felt.

She responded, “It’s impossible to be sad or depressed when you feel thankful.”

As I thought about that specific comment, I thought it’s also hard to be in faith and fear simultaneously.

I knew she was in a good place spiritually and mentally.

Many of us have learned to ride a bicycle when we were young and fell off many times, getting back on it again.  However, if we feared falling, we would never be able to ride a bicycle, and eventually, we no longer fall.

Because of my association with the military and time on jump status, I learned to get over my fears one jump at a time.  We had to because in the military, those who have “Jumped out of airplanes,” better known as “Paratroopers,” have stood in the door awaiting the tap of the Jumpmaster!  We had to get over our fears and do it repeatedly.

I’m often reminded that I once worked for one of the most brutal females I have ever encountered in the Army.  Not that she is physical, but she was mentally tough and a dominant individual requiring me to work hard for everything I received.  It was a matter of playing chess, trying to figure out her next move before it happened.

In short, I found out from her that there was a line of individuals that were fired.  On the other hand, I served with her 22 of my 24 months in that position. I learned from that experience that If I could survive that long, there would not be anything I could not accomplish because I had been through challenging times and was personally stretched to go the distance.   An experience that I will never forget.

Therefore, when I think of a bucket list from that experience, I tend to create my own experiences challenging myself to be better than yesterday.

What about you?  What challenges have you created for yourself that far exceed something on your bucket list?

Previously I used the word driven.

I like how Merriam-Webster defines driven.

“Driven is past participle of drive.  It is also operated, moved, or controlled by a specified person or source of power.”

The part of the definition I like is “(of a person) relentlessly compelled by the need to accomplish a goal; very hard-working and ambitious.”

Therefore, throughout my interactions with people with a bucket list, I ask myself what drives that thought?

I’m aware that each one of us, we wake up with a specific drive that starts our day.

For some it’s a need to provide for their family; for others, it’s a matter of survival.  I have been in both situations.

I’m also part of the 5:AM club that Robin Sharma talks about using the “Victory Hour.”  The 5 AM Club is a group of people who learned the importance of rising early and starting their day with the intention of improving their lives.

Before I close this blog, the other word that resonates with me is opportunity.

Merriam-Webster defines opportunity as “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.”

I can tell you that sometimes opportunities fall into our laps without us knowing it’s going to happen.

However, when they do, we must reflect on why we were chosen to experience these opportunities.

As, I continue this very day to experience the opportunities given to me, I’m reminded of God’s grace and my purpose in life.

In 1990, departing Fort Bragg, NC (Renamed Fort Liberty June 2, 2023) on a C-141 Aircraft and conducting inflight rigging while jumping in Honduras was not on my bucket list; however, it was an opportunity I was provided.

I am sharing a link to a video to get an idea of inflight rigging.

Bing Videos

I agree with my sister: “It’s impossible to be sad or depressed when you feel thankful.”

Every opportunity is another day to be better.

If we continue to fail in life, we learn the lessons that are meant for us. Therefore, fail forward.

My response to the question, “What Would You Do if You Couldn’t Fail?” Never stop trying!

As you work on your bucket list, make it a fun method of life-planning events that include professional and personal goals or anything else you can imagine.

My bucket list is composed of two words “Driven and Opportunities.”

Your list will undoubtedly differ from mine, and that’s okay. A bucket list should reflect what you value and desire.

I value life, and I desire to exceed the wildest expectations set before me.

If you have ever read Viktor E. Frankl’s books Man’s Search for Meaning and Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning, you know where I’m headed.

Let’s also pray for the people in Maui today.

Hawaii wildfires death toll rises to 114 as governor pledges to rebuild fire-ravaged Maui (yahoo.com)

My goal in life is to put a “Yes” on God’s plans for me. What about you?

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream…It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.” – Benjamin E. Mays