" Bucket ... "

Sun's out! 

We got A beach day

Forget Yourself say

Why don't We people watch?

Kids all playing 

'Round in the sand ...

I don't know

How we're Gonna build

A castle now Do you want 

To start Again somehow?

I'll stay Until the sun 

Comes down

Down, down

Are you smiling?

Look over My shoulder

See Your laughter

Bubble over Lately 

You've Been working 

Too hard

~ Carly Rae Jepsen ~ Bucket ~

***

The other day Russell and I were talking about “bucket lists” and I asked him the question, why the reference to a bucket?  And since I am so curious, I decide to research and blog about it .... (of course!).

Starting with the saying to “kick the bucket”, the reference is to an English idiom that is defined as “to die” as in the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, dated 1785.  It is considered a euphemistic, informal slang term with many theories surrounding its origin.

Well I will save you what I read in regards to the English theories, as it is depressing and quite gruesome!  Instead I prefer the pop culture Looney Tunes theory when Elmer Fudd “shoots” Bugs Bunny and Bugs says that he’s “gonna kick the bucket” before literally kicking a bucket next to him ... Elmer then replies “Hooway!  The wabbit kicked the bucket!" while doing a dance with Bugs until Elmer realizes that Bugs had tricked him.  

So what is where does a Bucket List come from?  It is a list of all the life experiences you desire to experience, dreams you want to fulfill and goals you want to achieve before you die.  Bucket lists are good for those that are caught up in the rush of life ... when you feel that your days are passing you by.  

You see, living your days by personal goals and plans reminds you what is really important so you can act on them.  So to develop a list you can ask yourself invaluable questions, without limiting yourself ... dare to dream and dream big. 

Questions like:

• If tomorrow was your last day, what would be the last thing you would do?
• What have you always wanted to do but have not done yet?
• If you had unlimited time, resources and money, what would you do?
• What countries, places or locations do you want to visit?
• What experiences do you want to have/feel?
• Are there any special moments you want to witness?
• What would you like to say/do together with your loved ones?

Once you have made your list, the next step is to start acting on them.  Plan out a path toward meeting these goals by reminding yourself of them every day.  Hold yourself responsible by sharing the list with your family and friends ... this may inspire them as well.  Review your bucket list regularly and cross out the things you have accomplished, see if some of the items become irrelevant and if there is new things you want to add ... our lists never end because there is such an incredible wealth of things, events, and activities to experience in life.  

It is impossible that we will ever be done with living.

The intention of a bucket list is to maximize every moment of our existence ... a reminder of all the things you want to achieve in your time here.  Planning ahead all the highlights you want for your whole life instead of some kind of a race against time or to create aversion towards death is truly living.  So instead of spending time in on pointless activities, we have focus and direction toward what matters to us.

" Focus ... "

“ Not concerned about

What nobody else gotta say

Just do what you do

Cuz they gonna talk anyway ...

Yea, Do it just for you

So dont even waste ya time ...

I'm focus now, I'm focus now “

~ Ashanti ~ Focus ~

The power of focus ... our ability to focus wholeheartedly on on our goals can determine the likelihood of achieving the success we desire.  Daydreams are often seeds of ideas taking root.  They can provide a roadmap towards dedicating all efforts on our ambitions.  A level of dedication ... using the entirety of our brainpower ... centering and focusing on an opportunity.

It may sound simple yet so many of us struggle with bringing our dreams to fruition.  Our minds are incredibly strong and influential ... if we focus on our goals, we can truly see and feel the power of the mind.  But sometimes it’s not just good enough to just keep our goals in mind.  Writing down our goals and putting all our power and energy into the list can help.  We can start this process by the following according to “Power of Focus” by Jack Canfield:

• Make It Yours - keep in mind that your goals have to be right for you, not someone else - don’t be tempted by media, peers, or culture - ask yourself if this is really what you want or are you being pressured by others.
• Be Specific - accurately specify what it is that you really want - don’t be vague as that won’t get you far - get as specific and detailed as you can - if you can measure it, it will be easier to follow through
• Dream Big - it is not useless to set high goals - ask yourself if you are afraid to set a big goal - ask yourself are you afraid of failure as to some extent, we all are, but the key to becoming successful is to look fear in the eye and go for your dreams in spite of any obstacles that may come your way.
• Be A Realist - don’t let your imagination go too wild and create dreams that are physically impossible - dream big but be realistic.
• Give Yourself A Timeframe - give yourself reasonable time to develop what you need and practice it well before you become - don’t be hard on yourself yet be fair.

When we visualize our objectives, we begin to understand that the success we wish to attain is within our grasp.  We can make the most of this optimism by channeling our imprecise devotion into our ability to focus on the next steps ... to build our life desires.  Our dreams that once seemed beyond our realm of possibility can become concrete goals.  The power of focus ... 

Choose to live your dreams, not your fears ...