What’s on your (Big Dream) Bucket List?
When I was a kid, it was Switzerland.
One of my favorite movies was “Heidi”, the 1968 film version of an old story about a young girl sent to live with her grumpy ol’ grandpa in the Swiss Alps. By the end of the movie, she’s turned him around, of course. It’s the Beauty and the Beast all over again.
But as much as I enjoyed the story – that wasn’t why I loved the movie.
It was the Alps. Those incredibly beautiful, powerful mountains that filled the screen through so much of the movie called to me. I couldn’t believe a place like that existed. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live there, to actually be in a place like that, breathe it, walk it in real life.
I dreamed about what it would be like to see those mountains, that incredible place where Heidi lived – though I never really expected that to happen. After all, the Alps were in some exotic faraway place called “Europe”. And that was a place that, from what I could tell, only rich people could get to.
For me, I could just have easily gone to the moon, but Switzerland was on my bucket list for a very long time.
A Bucket List is a Big Dream List, a list of all those really special things you’d like to do or places you’d like to go Someday. Long or short, it’s a personal but powerful list of once-in-a-lifetime moments or achievements you hope you’ll have before life gets away from you.
Wait. Before I go any further.
Can I just change one thing right here?
Let’s make that last sentence, “… a personal but powerful list of once-in-a-lifetime moments or achievements you intend to have before life gets away from you”.
There. That’s better.
Everyone should have a bucket list.
Do you? Even if it’s a secret. Even if you’ve never dared tell a soul. Don’t you have a few personal but powerful dreams of your own?
Some of you will scoff at this. You’ll tell me that it does no good to dream like that. Those things never happen. Not really. Not for people like you. Or me.
Because after all, only ‘rich people’ can get to Europe. ;-)
Or buy a sports car.
Or adopt a child.
Only ‘smart people’ can write a book.
Or go to college.
Or start a business.
Only ‘those people’ can really go where they want, have what they want.
Be who they want.
I’m sorry, but that’s just not true.
If you don’t allow yourself to Dream Big Dreams, your life will flow past you in a series of forgotten days and almost-did’s.
But when you DO allow yourself to Dream, you will surprise yourself at what you create.
Oh sure, some of those dreams may never happen.
But some of them will.
Because just setting an intention that you will Find a Way sets the stage for powerful things to happen.
It was Norman Vincent Peale who said, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” He was right about that.
So I’ve had bucket lists for years, though I didn’t always call them that. And they’ve changed over time. Some things I’ve accomplished. Some things I haven’t.
Yet. :)
I used to dream about…
- Being a dancer on the Jackie Gleason show (remember those?)
- Conducting the Boston Philharmonic
- Getting a Ph.D.
- Going to the Swiss Alps
Today, I dream about…
- Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine
- Driving Route 66 across the U.S.
- Visiting all the National Parks
- Backpacking in Chile
And lately I’ve been thinking a lot about a walking tour across Ireland or Scotland. :)
There are other things of course – like driving a race car or taking a hot air balloon ride. And I dream about being able to hire more members for my team or fixing things up around my house – or even being able to give to charities the way I’d like.
But the biggies, for me, are always about travel.
In some ways, The List of all of those ideas I have for Secret Adventures are kind of like a mini-bucket list. A whole bunch of buckets, really.
So yes, I’ve been to the Swiss Alps.
And the Austrian Alps.
And the German Alps.
And no – you don’t have to be rich.
I went the first time at age 24 – when I was making minimum wage. :)
All it takes is setting an intention, doing a little planning, and making it happen.
What about you?
What’s on your List?
Share a few treasures with us in the comments. (Hit “reply” up top.)
Let’s do some dreaming together.
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Photo Credit: Ed Coyle on Flickr