Why You Should Consider Rewriting Your Bucket List

Photo by Roger

  
  I had a bucket list but the bucket got a hole in it from being so overstuffed with a bunch of blah-blah fluff and junk and I'm just going to toss it before I get a chance to kick it. This list of mine was a mile long and included items such as "Learn to play guitar", "Go on a cruise". It was literally the front and back of a sheet of legal pad paper. Now and then I accomplished something and crossed it off but for the most part, many of those things were left untouched. You see, I finally started to see what was important in life and most everything on my list was a bunch of poo. It's not about fulfilling all those accomplishments anyway. It's really about living your life in such a way that you can die happy. Just because there's this list of things you want to do/see/become before you pass on doesn't mean that you have to reach each goal. Actually, I think it would be sad to cross the last thing off. So, you look back over your list and that's what your life is all about? Will jumping out of an airplane, learning to play piano, or going to the Superbowl... make you a better person? Those experiences may enrich your life but when all is said and done the relationships you build with your family and friends, those whose lives you touch along the way and whose lives you've allowed to touch yours will be what actually stands out.

  Live life fully every day with intention. Love with everything you've got. Be passionate about something, anything, EVERYTHING. If you have to do something, you may as well do it wholeheartedly instead of half-assed just because you wrote it down on a list at some point in life. Priorities change, what you thought you wanted way back when might not be what you want now. Allow yourself to drop the cliche bucket list items. You don't HAVE to swim with the dolphins or learn to knit a sweater. Make sure you're doing the things YOU want to do and living the life YOU choose. Give your all in everything you do. Give of yourself every day. Be an inspiration and encourage others to do the same.

What Is Personal Development?

Photo by Arnel Dollosa

   I’m sure most of you have a good idea what personal development is. The answer is both simple and complex. Anything and everything that is done to improve who you are as a human being is personal development. There are many different areas of personal development and some are making improvements to your education, health, relationships, and self-esteem. Some things that most people would agree on when it comes to personal development are the need to set goals, defining exactly what it is that you want before you’re able to achieve it, not being afraid to work consistently to obtain what you want, as well as finding sources of motivation and inspiration to keep you headed in the right direction. 

   Personally, I like to think of personal development as a human investment. Think about something – Why are so many people willing to pay out thousands of dollars for items such as cars, houses, boats, clothing, etc. but these same people are hesitant to pay for self-help books or seminars in personal growth? What’s worse is that many times these things can be had for free from the library or online but people will say they don’t have the free time. An investment in YOU is the best investment you will ever make. It took me a while to figure that out for myself. Every book I read, every bit of knowledge I gain from reading or hearing about someone else’s experience, and every cent and minute I spend becoming more fulfilled, more educated, more in tune with who I am, the stronger I become as a person. I understand time is a huge issue and that’s one investment that people feel they don’t have the luxury of making. BUT it’s usually the people who are so pressed for time who benefit most from personal development. Even if it’s as simple as taking a few minutes a day to sit and think in complete silence that’s better than nothing at all. If you don’t have time to invest in yourself you can’t possibly live every part of your life to the fullest. What’s holding you back?

Create Your Perfect Life Map Using a Vision Board

Creating Your Perfect Lifestyle 

Photo by Nanette Saylor

  Most of us have in our minds the image of our perfect lifestyle. For some that might mean living in the middle of nowhere on a farm and being completely self-sufficient and for others it might mean being a big shot executive with a multimillion dollar home, lots of power, and money to burn. I often ask myself “What’s one thing that you can do today that will bring you one step closer to your perfect lifestyle?” I’m a believer in the law of attraction, although I do think that a little work and planning never hurt anyone. One of the best tools I’ve ever used has been a vision board. If you’re not familiar with vision boards they are basically collages that you create of things you want and need.  You then take these collages and put them in places where you will see them every day. 

Recently, I read an article by Martha Beck that explains 7 steps to getting the lifestyle you want. This article explains how you can map out your perfect lifestyle. It involves using vision boards but there’s a twist because you’re also going to create a board for the lifestyle you currently have and step by step go through the process of enhancing different areas of your life and doing research to figure out how to eliminate the negative aspects in your current lifestyle.  Of course, this isn’t meant to get you where you need to be in order to have that lifestyle but once you’ve finished you’ll have a pretty clear picture of what you want in life and a better idea of how to get there. With anything worth having there’s going to have to be some effort put forth so don’t expect instant gratification and be willing to work for what you want. I know it’s cliché but where there’s a will there’s a way. Hey, I’m a poet and didn’t know it. =)

Martha Beck Explains How to Live the Life You Want