Close your eyes. Really..try it(after you read the next few lines). Close them and imagine that you are 80 years old, and you are with your family, a few close friends, around a table decorated with your favorite food. People are smiling and laughter thickens the air around you …Hmmm…I’m thinking mexican, italian, or better still something curried, piled high on my plate, provided all your teetth still work. But this is your vision…..
The sun is quietly setting outside the window behind you, and as you glance at the latest addition to your grandchildren tugging at the hem of your pant leg, you think to yourself…
Well…
What exactly to you imagine you will think to yourself? What things are you happy you have done with your life, and what things do you wish you had done?
In all honesty I’ve asked myself that question a few times throughout my life, and was recently reminded of it, in full color, after watching this video here.
This exercise is neither intended to be morbid, nor suggest that your life lacks something. But I find that it helps me sharpen my focus concerning the things I truly value, have always wanted to do, but sometimes just get lost within the shuffle of living life.
Whether or not you’ve seen the movie, Bucket List, you may have at some point either heard of people writing down the things they’ve always wanted to do in life before they die, or you’ve done it yourself. The term bucket list, comes from the term “kick the bucket,” signifying the end of our lives. I’ve also noticed the term Life List used interchangeably. Yeah…maybe not a favorite topic among friends. But showing up on your eightieth birthday with a list of regrets is no fun either.
Things To Consider When Creating Your Life List
You may be tempted to begin scribbling down things randomly like:
- Go bunji jumping
- Running the Boston marathon
- Marrying Nia Long(maybe that’s just me)
I used to do just that before beginning this blog. Scribbling dreams on random pieces of paper when I was having near suicidal thoughts at my cubicle work station. It was sort of a calming routine, plus it sometimes tricked me into thinking I was actually knocking some of the things off the list.
But a couple things this journey of exploring truth has done for me, is focus my attention on exactly what my core values are, and develop a better understanding on what I believe. This in-turn has begun to lay the critical foundation that inevitably has and will continue to challenge, change, and shape some of the goals, and day to day actions I now choose to add to my growing Life list/Bucket list.
We All Have Something Unique To Offer The World, The Goal Is to Find Out What That Is, And Then Live It.
Beginning in the right place
So why are you alive? Why are you here? Seriously, what specific, unique gift to the world, can you and only you give? I really believe that there is something we all have to offer that is as unique as a finger print. And when deciding on what things we would like to do before we die, it may serve us best to first consider what our personal mission statement should be.
Understanding your why is so important. I think of it as the everlasting flame that will fuel the direction and the passion needed to best form, and then accomplish the dreams and goals on your a Life List.
So before we get to writing down a Life List, I think getting maniacally crystal clear on what our core values and beliefs are is extremely important.
#1 Developing Your Personal Mission Statement
If you’re anything like me, you’ve typically thought of a personal mission statement in the context of a large organization. A statement that explains the reason for why the company even exists, while continuing to keep them on that track.
A personal mission statement basically follows the same sentiments but is applied to your life. Some personal business so to speak. And getting to a place where you have this clearly expressed and understood, allows you to be confident in what you say no to.
Actually writing that sucker down may not be a small task. At least for me, and in hindsight, its taken me a few years of tweaking, honestly evaluating myself, and growing in my awareness of what I felt was ultimately most important in life. But the clarity you gain is worth it.
4 few pointers I’ve discovered that may help you in writing your own personal mission statement.
- What do you value most? Write down a list of things that describe you, and then try to narrow it down to just 3 attributes or values. If you can go even further to sum it up in one theme that’s even better.
- Reflect on your past accomplishments. Do these give you some clues as to what you value? Maybe what you did value in the past?
- What are the things you want people to say about you at your funeral. That you were rich? Or that you were the kindest person they knew? Both? :-)
- Finally, just brain storm all the goals and dreams you’ve ever wanted to do or achieve. These can also assist in helping shape your personal mission statement.
A rough draft of my Life List
In many ways what I discuss on this site embodies my personal mission statement, and in part II of this post I will add a few more thoughts on this topic, share my personal mission statement, and fine tune the 50 items listed here. It’s a living breathing document, so as we live and grow, change is inevitable.
- Continue to grow in my understanding of what is truly going on
- Volunteer oversees
- Grow a successful media company that successfully creates open minded/non-threatening spaces(online & offline) and media that inspires truth exploration.
- Become a published writer(beyond this blog)
- Create an online business(es), around my core values, that also create at least $56,000/yr(short term)
- Make a documentary film/series
- Quit an unsatisfying job
- Be known as someone who loves people w/ a divine like capacity and lives a legacy of service
- Overcome all fear of dying
- Become the “healthiest” I have been in my entire life
- Organize an alternative spiritual community that allows for greater truth exploration and social service
- Travel to South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia
- Return to visit Trinidad & Jamaica
- Start a family
- Read the bible from cover to cover
- Live on the water(ocean)
- Explore the spread of the 3 Abrahamic religions by traveling too and tracing the journey they took.
- Be conversational in a 2nd language(spanish)
- Learn a musical instrument(piano)
- Grow an organic garden that produces all needed produce
- Plant all my favorite fruit trees on my own property
- Publish a book of poetry
- Publish a song
- Help and see closest family realize their goals
- Host an art show where some pieces are my own
- Learn to survive in the wild
- Actually learn to snowboard(Snowboarded in Washington State & Oregon)
- Become a better friend and develop better friendships
- Begin an organization that makes lifelong education common place, and affordable.
- Earn at minimum
- “Own” a home (long story, but we may give it another go round soon)
- Build my own house w/ energy independent & efficient technology
- graduate w/ undergrad degree
- Become an extremely good cook(I’m ok ;-)
- Speak to an audience of over 1000 people(Excel in public speaking)
- Bench press over 300 pounds
- Delete the concern of money{Make at least $100,000/yr}(long term)
- Afford to be able to financially support certain family members
- Send my parents on the trip of their dreams
- Start a successful blog
- 50 RSS subscribers
- 100 RSS subscribers
- Sky dive out of a plane w/a parachute
- Sell photography(purchased 1st Nikon DSLR D60 2009)
- Organize a convention themed around this blog
- Interview and film my grandmother and grandfather
- White water rafting in Oregon
- Learn to sail
- Go traveling for an extended time(6 months – 1 year)
- Learn to instantly remember someone’s name
- Develop sufficient proficiency in the understanding of philosophy, religion, preventive health care, and finances.
- Camping under the stars
Written by Veron Graham
Topics: Blog