Have You Completed Your Bucket List

I've made an interesting, albeit maybe obvious, observation. As we get older, we become more like our parents/grandparents.

I'm talking about how we view our mortality. Think about it. Remember how your parents talked about their ailments, doctor's appointments and obituaries? As a kid, I totally never got it. Now, enjoying the last half of my life, I see why they did that. It's surprising how much your mind still feels twenty-five but your body feels ancient. When did that happen? I could have sworn I felt much younger yesterday. Where has the time gone?

In this wake of our mortality some of us stop and look around us. What have me missed? We have friends passing all around us. Have we done all the things we thought we'd do? Oh, some of us have gained maturity (I said some - no laughing) and wisdom (I fit better there). But have we accomplished the things we thought we would?

I did a survey on Facebook. What's on your bucket list? Some of the answers I received I expected, some were surprising. The most common item on the list was some kind of adventure. Whether it be sailing on a full-rig ship, skydiving (most common), walk the Great Wall of China or joining the mile-high club, adventure was the most common answer.

Why is that? Are we too cautious in our everyday life? Are we saving that big moment for the day we're told we only have six months to live? Reality is life is filled with work, family and bills that need to be paid. Adventure isn't a priority. We have been taught that resposibilty out weighs fun. These dreams get put on a back-burner. Once we have more money, less resposibility, we'll have more time to follow through with the dreams. Hopefully, we'll have six weeks notice and the health to do it.

The next most common was travel. Reasons, I'm sure, are the same as adventure. I know I'd love to go to Scotland but the money just isn't available. Now if I played the lotto I might have a chance. Other common destinations were Disney World, Australia, and seeing all fifty states.

Some other bucket list items were having a novel on the best sellers list, finding a soul mate, and losing weight. Are any of these impossible? No! And, definitely, shouldn't be put off to the last ticking minute.

What's my message here? Just because we age doesn't mean we aren't capable of great thngs. Why wait until we are too old to enjoy our bucket list? Start planning today to fulfill that list! Live a full, exciting life - if that's waht you're looking for. Don't put it off...you may never get another chance.