It's Just a List

I thought I had some semblance of direction about what I wanted to write for this entry. I don’t have a bucket list, per se’, so I was going to write about the Be, Do, Have items we outlined when I was in the Change Your Mind workshop in August. This is basically a road map of what I want to be, what I want to do, and the things I want to have in life. It’s also the cornerstone activity for creating a vision board for myself. It’s a great exercise, but the more I thought about it, the more I managed to break it down from the tangible to the abstract. At the end of the day, I really want to Be good, Do good, and Have time and resources to do so. Long story short, this blog entry took a wrong turn in Albuquerque.

It’s seems the more I think about bucket lists and the whole concept of things I want to do or accomplish before I die, the more intimidating and overwhelming it becomes. What would be at the top of the list? Is there anything I wouldn’t do? Why put something on the list I know can never possibly happen (go to the moon)? Goals are great but a bucket list is not for goals (or is it?). See what I mean? I’m just confusing myself.

So I thought I’d approach it from a different perspective. Looking back to when I was a kid, have I done or accomplished the things that would have been on the list penned by the thirteen year old version of me? Let’s see:

• Become an fighter pilot >>>> NOPE
• Become an airline pilot >>>> NOPE
• Play quarterback for the Miami Dolphins >>>> NOPE
• Become a Wall Street big wig >>>> NOPE
• Marry Justine Bateman (hey, don’t judge) >>>> NOPE

Wow. Nothing. Not even close. I look at this and wonder what pre-pubescent Gil would think or say. Would he be disappointed? Probably. Looking at my life now, am I happy? Most definitely. Given that information, do bucket lists really mean anything? Maybe not.

So I’ve come to the conclusion that bucket list is just another way of saying, “Dream Big!” It’s permission to envision yourself doing things you’d probably never otherwise consider. In its own way, a bucket list is not unlike a vision board. It’s a future event we so diligently want to make true. Still, life is what happens in between making plans and dreams, and the measure of greatness is not how many items you check off your list, but rather how well you adapt when life gets in the way.

This brings us back full circle to Change Your Mind. We are completely in control of how we choose to view the circumstances and setbacks in our lives. What’s important now may not be important thirty years from now. What we plan and aspire to do now may not be possible because of a higher calling we may not hear until later. It’s perfectly okay to dream big. Just remind yourself that it’s also perfectly okay to dream anew down the road. It’s all part of what makes life so fun and interesting.

I have to admit this entry was influenced by the fact Ken and Tracy Block and the team at 4th Street Training are in St. Pete Beach this week hosting a CYM Workshop. That being said, I hope you enjoy the video below.