A good friend of mine reminded me this weekend of the movie, “The Bucket List.” Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two men who have been diagnosed with cancer and given a short but undetermined amount of time to live. They end up on a road trip with the mission of completing as many items as possible on their wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket.”
Being reminded of that movie caused me to reflect on my daily lists and routines. Completing a huge project like my husband’s new state-of-the-art dental facility is certainly a bucket list item, even for me. But it has been a yearlong project, the hardest year either of us remembers, and it has taken me a little while to get my bearings and settle back into my life, with my own list of to-dos.
Lately I’ve been going from task to task, from one minor project to another, forgetting about the big picture. That’s not like me, but I guess it happens to everyone every once in a while. I’ve been a little off balance and now I know why.
If you think about it, our entire life is a bucket list. One day, you’re going to get to the end of this life, what’s going to show up on your bucket list?
Until next time,
Live joyfully!
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Posted under Inspiration, Motivation
This post was written by Debra Moorhead, Motivational Speaker, Author, and Coach on August 25, 2008
I loved “The Bucket List” - specifically because it made both my wife and I think about what is on our list. Several things were things that are a ways off for us yet. But some things were more immediate. For one, I wanted to try my hand at writing. And because of this movie, and our talking through it, I started a blog this spring. And it has really become a source of great joy for me.
I like that - our whole life is a bucket list. But what’s in the bucket? This is good food for thought…
Enjoyed your reflections, Debra,
100% correct- sometimes when deluged in small details it is hard to see the big picture. Stepping back can be the best gift ever!
I think so often we get caught up in the details of life and forget to live our lives. That’s when the bucket list gets forgotten. And we think it’s more important to save for retirement than to go on that trip to Hawaii we’ve dreamed about, but who knows if we’ll live long enough to retire? The point really comes down to living NOW. As Carlos Castenada said, we should live with death on one shoulder. Then we really learn how to live.
This summer my son was ill an we weren’t sure why. He had a fever for over a month and several strange symptoms. That also put things into perspective for me. It made me look at the big picture. What’s really important in this life? Your list of work to-do items or your kids, family, friends? I toned down how much time I spent working and changed my attitude about work in general. Now my family comes first again, which is as it should be.
Thanks, Lance, Jennifer, and Nina - I appreciate all of you so much!