Something to think about now as we come to the end of 2011.
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What will your story look like next year?
I was having a conversation the other day with a few people about life in general and the topic come up about how many people don’t follow up with ideas, desires, their passions etc. One of the group said “Don’t die wondering”. I really like that term and makes more sense to me than having a bucket list. I have only come cross that term, bucket list, recently and to tell the truth I don’t like it. I mean, think about it – “bucket”. What do you think of when you hear that word? To me it conjures up images of housework, vomit (sick bucket), dirty water, chook food, etc – hmmmmmm………….not very inspiring.
I thought about don’t die wondering and it excited me more than having a list (bucket or no bucket). Having a list may suit some people but to me it makes it too much like a “should”, too restrictive. There are plenty of experiences out there that I don’t even know exist yet. My desires change over time and the things I liked and wanted to do many years ago have changed; they are no longer important to me. Having a list and abiding by it may mean losing opportunities to do other things that can be more exciting or memorable.
The beauty of the Don’t Die Wondering philosophy is that when an opportunity arises, maybe something you had never thought of, you can decide if that is something you’d like to experience. Is it something that if you don’t do, you’d die wondering “what would it have been like?”
The other benefit is that there is no expectation – that it does not have to be a success so to speak. If it doesn’t turn out the way you thought, it doesn’t matter – you did it anyway, just for the sheer experience. I came across a blog recently where the writer talked about having a bucket list of things they NEVER want to try. She got that idea from another blogger.
That method can work well too, it means that if an opportunity comes up and it is NOT on that list, give it a go anyway.
So, pick which philosophy fits you and see what can happen. Whichever one you chose, have fun with it 
I came across this “wonder”ful talk by Janet Echelman on TED and would like to share it with you
“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
A very simple message. Just click on the link.
http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html
So, how do you want your life to be?
1/ Be true to your-self. Decide how you want your life to be, find your values. What do you gain by always conforming to other people’s ideals?
2/ Turn the TV off and spend more time thinking and dreaming, reading, meeting new people, finding new ideas, get that imagination going.
3/ Do something you are scared of. Don’t think of it as getting out of your comfort zone, think of it as EXPANDING your comfort zone. 
4/ Don’t over plan – that can result in procrastination, confusion and barriers being erected.
5 Take action – standing still gets you nowhere, you need to take that first step and then another, and another…………….
6/ If you lose your way – ask for help
7/ Have fun & have it now. What’s the point of waiting? A friend wants to do a trip down the Murray but is leaving it for many years down the track. She said that she wants something to look forward to – the trouble is, the river may not exist by then (which looked like a possibility given the drought we come out of) and neither might she.
I’d love to hear what you think
I decided to post a link to an interesting talk I came across on TED. I thought it was timely this week as I am going to Bali on Wednesday for the Wealth Dynamics Academy (I’ll let you know all about it early next week when I get back).
The following talk does not apply only to children, this appiles to anyone of any age. Stop limiting what you can do and start looking for opportunities for you what can do, or even better, what YOU HAVE ALWAYS REALLY wanted to do. What better example for your children and grandchildren
I am a great believer in imagining, and an example of this is is one of my previous posts http://theattitudequeen.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/your-unconscious-mind-at-work/.
I came across a short and very effective speech by Garion Bunn on You Tube which I absolutely love – it’s about imagination. If you click on the link below you can watch it and then let me know what you think. By the way, Garion does a bit of singing at the beginning and the speech is just after that – about 1 minute and 5 seconds into the start of the video. Enjoy
