I knew from a very young age that I would want to live life
to the fullest. At the age of 10 when asked to make a list of 5 things we
wanted to do when we were grown ups I wrote “get married, have kids, become a
doctor, own 10 dogs and go white river rafting in Zimbabwe”. That was the sum
of my life’s ambition. As I matured I made a few other lists, though I kept
these lists in my head. That is the worst place for a list …
A few years back I put pen to paper. As I aged, as I was exposed to various experiences, the more I experimented, the more of an identity I formed. My list still contained
“get married”… but this time it had a name attached to it. Looking at that list
now I am shocked how many items relate to my ex. Funny thing is - I achieved
more on that list that improved his life than my own.
 |
| I crossed off the items in blocks. I 'censored' my ex's name. Those that I blocked out... We shall not mention those. |
So, in light of being single and fiercely independent, I
decided to make a new list. This is my list.
I have been extremely lucky in that I have been able to tick
off a few items already and once I achieve something new I will be writing about the experience. Yeah!
What an incredible experience compiling this list was in developing the
clichéd “attitude of gratitude”. I am truly blessed.
Here goes!
The BIG lifetime achievements list
1.
Fulfil God’s purpose for my life
2.
Lead and serve towards God
3.
Find my definition of Love
4.
Have a great marriage
5.
Have two of my own children
6.
Adopt a child
7.
Start a charity organization
8.
Forgive
9.
Inspire change
10.
Witness a miracle
11.
Save a life
12.
Work towards ending drug and
alcohol abuse
13.
Invest in someone’s education
14.
Leave a legacy
15.
Be nominated/ win a Noble Prize
Adventure
17.
Shark cage diving
18.
Deep sea fishing
20.
Dog sledding
21.
Ski in the Alps
25.
Swimming with dolphins
26.
Run with the Bulls in Pamplona
27.
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
with my sister
29.
Dive in the Great
Barrier Reef
30.
Use a machete in a Rain Forest
32.
Skydive
33.
Drive a rally car
34.
Drive on the Autobahn
35.
Sand board down a giant sand dune
36.
White River Raft down the Zambezi river
37.
Hunt with my crossbow
Creativity
38.
Write and play a song for someone
40.
Write and have my memoir published
41.
Write and perform a one man show
42.
Paint a whole collection of works
43.
Invite my friends and family to a
private exhibit
44.
Sell something I made
45.
Write an Afrikaans radio drama for
RSG
46.
Have my garden featured in a
magazine
Domesticated
47.
Buy a game farm
48.
Have my own library room
49.
Own my own property
50.
Have a sheep called Dolly
51.
Have a cow called Mina Moo
52.
Have a peacock
53.
Rescue an animal from a shelter
Events
54.
Attend a World Cup Rugby Final
55.
Attend the Oppikoppi festival in South Africa
56.
Have a 21st birthday
party
57.
Get VIP passes to a show
58.
Go to a movie premiere
59.
Attend a celebrity wedding
Food
60.
Cook every dish in one cookbook
61.
Eat frogs legs in France
62.
Eat truffles in Italy
63.
Cook a lobster
64.
Buy and cook a Turkey
When I’m old
65.
Sing in a church choir
66.
Learn to knit
67.
Build a chapel on a farm to use at
a wedding venue for retirement
Travel
68.
Fly first class
69.
See the sunset and sunrise on all
7 continents (4 down…3 to go)
70.
Play flight roulette
71.
Tour India
72.
See the Taj Mahal
73.
Stand beneath the Eiffel tower
74.
Make a wish with a coin at Trevi
Fountain
77.
See Auschwitz
79.
Walk on the Great
Wall of China
82.
See the migration in Serengeti
83.
See the pyramids in Egypt
84.
See Ayers Rock
85.
See Sydney Opera House
86.
Spend New Year's in Times Square
87.
Visit Ground Zero
90.
Visit Disney World AGAIN
91.
See the Grand
Canyon
92.
Stand in front of Trump Towers
93.
Visit Las Vegas
94.
Swim in Jacob’s Well in Texas
95.
Visit Yellowstone
National Park
96.
Visit an African-American church
and sing gospel and shout HALLELUJAH!
97.
See the Aurora Borealis (The
Northern lights)
98.
See Niagara Falls
99.
Hike the Inca Trail and explore Machu Picchu
‘You can do it’
100.
Participate in a 5k race
101.
Participate in a 10k race
102.
Attain a black belt in karate
103.
Learn to dance
104.
Play a 18 hole round of golf
105.
Solve a Rubik’s cube
106.
Wear the red dress
Theological travels
110.
Tour Israel
111.
Float in the Dead
sea
112.
Take a boat ride on the sea of
Galilee
113.
Walk the Via Dolorosa
114.
Recite the Shema in Hebrew at the Western
Wall
115.
Tour Turkey
116.
Tour Rome
117.
Visit the Vatican
Success?
121.
Earn a PhD
122.
Get published in an academic
journal
123.
Get ordained as a minister
I put a question mark behind Success because I have come to
learn that the things that bring us the most joy are seldom achievements, acquisitions,
degrees or accolades. What truly give us joy are the quiet moments when we find
ourselves truly present in our lives, wherever we may be.
I know my bucket list is enormous and ambitious. Some things
are possible, some will remain a dream. All are things I truly
want to experience.
“The purpose of
life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out
eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Is this my final list? No. Will I be able to cross every
single item off? Never.
Since my first list as a 10 year old, to this one, I have
learned not to underestimate the power of experiences. Everything that you have
experienced, from the day you were born, until this very moment, has shaped who
you have become today.
So cheers to new experiences and smiling by myself...‘never
say never’.
Do you have a bucket list? What’s on yours?
Does a Nobel Prize qualify as one of your "Noble Prizes"? ;-)
ReplyDeleteIf Dan Patlansky plays "Hallelujah" tomorrow, you can semi cross off numbers 10 and 96.
Curses!
ReplyDelete124. Finally complete my list of "AutoCorrect" exeptions in Microsoft Word