Inspiration: The Bucket List by Shavawn M. Berry

Some of you may have seen the 2008 movie, The Bucket List, which starred Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. The premise of the movie surrounds the idea of making a “bucket list.” A bucket list consists of the 100 things you would like to do before you die; in other words, what do you want to make sure you do before you kick the bucket! Although for some, contemplating what to do with our lives prior to our deaths may seem unpleasant, the idea is to make sure that the time we spend on this earth is passionate, filled with things and people we love, and above all, guided by our own special purpose for being alive. Maybe we know what that is, maybe we don’t. The important thing is to work to discover the way (or ways) in which we can be of service to the world, while at the same time, building experiences into our lives that inform, inspire, and enrich our spirits. I remember a Jackson Browne song in the mid-seventies called, “For A Dancer.” The lyrics are about a young woman who has died, and the singer is standing near her grave, convinced “she’d rather we were dancing...dancing our sorrows away.” I always loved that image. To me, it indicated her life had been well-lived, even if it was short. Each one of us has dreams and desires we would like to see manifest. Unfortunately, for many of us, these dreams remain simple thoughts floating around our addled brains late at night as we fall into sleep! We daydream about Paris, or that novel we will write “when we have the time.” We think we will visit our best friend in Myrtle Beach one “ethereal” perfect summer; however, we never actually see any of these things become realities. Author, Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph. D. has written several books outlining the power of writing down what you want, including (appropriately) “Write It Down, Make it Happen.” She contends that something happens in our brains when we make a list of our goals. Listing them in our heads doesn’t cut it. We must physically write them down. So what would make your bucket list? Make a list today of everything that you absolutely do not want to miss in this life! And, once you do, set about making your list come to life.