Bucket Lists

"Its never too late to be what you might have been" – George Eliot

I’ve been a late bloomer in pretty much every aspect of my life. Some of it was out of my control (I mean I really couldn’t help if Mother Nature has a twisted sense of humor and exercised it heavily on me during my teens and twenties) but I can’t put all of the blame for it on her, either. Some of it was also by my personal choice. And by that, I mean I used to be very shy and afraid of “what was out there” in the big, scary world so I would rarely try anything new or took any chances of any kind. I chose instead to do my best to hide away from life, tucking myself away from it safely like a tight little rosebud that had not yet bloomed.

But there is a quote that says “And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” This was the case for me. As time went on, my rosebud shell grew more and more uncomfortable for me. So one day I just took a chance and pushed aside a petal or two to take a peek at what was going on outside of my safe little bud. When I did, I was amazed at what I saw and how I felt. At last I had found the courage I needed to take a risk on myself and that big scary world outside and started to take on the task of blooming.

It’s been awhile now since I took that first step to leave that ol’ bud of mine behind me but even so, I still strive to blossom and grow in other ways whenever the opportunity presents itself. I’ve created a bucket list of sorts for myself , made up of challenges to meet, both big and small. I’ve included everything from simply trying new foods to trying new experiences. In my ongoing quest towards “Blossomville”, I’ve learned that most stuff you try even just once wont kill ya…… but then again that also depends on what you want to try. I mean if you attempt to become the queen of multitasking and try to make yourself some toast and dry your hair while relaxing in your bathtub loaded up with Mr. Bubbles….. that might be a problem. 

(Although it still might not actually kill ya, it might put a bit of damper on accomplishing the rest of your list, yanno?)

I’m proud and happy to say that the accomplished challenges section of my bucket list is coming along quite nicely so far, but I have much more to go…..and isn’t that what makes for a really good bucket list anyway? Just as you cross of some of your met goals...start adding some new ones ASAP!  I can think of only one thing sadder than an empty bucket list….. and that would be a full one that goes unattempted.

Regret is hard to live with. When we take the time to look back over our lives, what we often regret the most are the things we never tried as opposed to the things we have. We learn through experience and every new one (whether good or bad) helps us to grow emotionally, in knowledge, and in our overall confidence level. Sometimes experience really IS the best teacher. So give yourself permission to go out on a limb once in awhile. Give yourself the chance to one day look back on your life with a smile and a sense of pride and say “OMG…I actually DID that??”  If you haven’t already, why not start scratching some things off of your bucket list today? Take some advice from George Eliot. It’s never too late. And there is no time like the present to start.

My most recent bucket list challenge that I met was walking in the annual Easter Parade on 5^th avenue in Manhattan for the very first time this past Easter. It was so much fun and I’m so glad I tried it. If you would like to join me in my experience, please check out my video below.

Until next time everybody…ta ta and toodles!
Tracie Dee