Perhaps you’ve seen the movie The Bucket List. You may even be one of the many people who’ve created such a list.
If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about, answer these questions:
Do you have some things that you really want to do before you die?
Have you written these things down?
If so, you have a bucket list.
The interesting thing about this idea is the process of crossing each item off can usually be accomplished during vacations and moments that come about throughout the year. But what about creating a list that goes beyond this? What about creating a lifestyle that you want to live?
A list that contains both the “once in a lifetime” type of activities as well as the “these are the things that bring meaning to my life” or “this it the lifestyle I want to live” type of things.
By meaning/lifestyle, I don’t mean making X amount of income so you can buy whatever you want. I’m talking about living according to your desire, not what society or anyone else teaches.
What I propose is this:
Take your Bucket List and write it down on a yellow pad. This list will include your dreams, experiences, accomplishments, etc.
On a separate sheet, begin to explore the things in this life that you find meaningful. This will be things like helping others, family, service, working towards social justice, giving your time, etc.
The best way to live a great life is to incorporate things that bring meaning to your life. This is often the area that goes unnoticed and unrecognized throughout life. For some people, discovering meaningful things will be easy, because you’re likely already living according them. For others, this will take some work.
Take some time this weekend and search your thoughts and life for the meaningful things. The way to tell the difference between Bucket List items and Life Meaning items … ask yourself what are you willing to die for. Life Meaning items are the things you would die for – Bucket List items are the things you want to do before you die.
If you’re looking for a little help in discovering your Life Meaning items, here’s a tool that will help get you started. The Personal Values Card Sort will help you uncover your core 3 – 5 values. The things that will bring you meaning in life will come from these values.
I’d love to hear what you discover. Share them in the comments.
(photo source)
What do you mean by “working towards social justice”?
Social justice would be anything you see going on in society that you deem unfair or wrong. It could be helping the poor, women, minorities, etc.
I huv done the bucket list before and it was easy! This to die for list? This is hard.
I always enjoy tools like that value sorter. My top five: Hope, Genuineness, Compassion, Family, Passion, and Self-Knowledge. That’s been pretty consistent for me — other tools before have highlighted for me integrity, compassion and family. I like adding passion and hope to that list. It’s so easy to let the daily task list get in the way of remaining mindful of our values. I am up-ending my life right now (leaving legal practice, scaling back our lifestyle and focusing on health and family) so all of this is on my mind, but the tricky part will be KEEPING those elements front and center. One big sea-change isn’t enough, it needs to be a daily exercise doesn’t it?
Yes, daily exercise is how the values stay front and center. Thank you for sharing your top 5.
Thanks for the clarification on Social Justice. It is a bit of a hot button phrase with a lot of the policies and direction of this country moving towards “Social justice” – or making things “fair”. Thanks, Corey – I really enjoy your posts!
Some interesting reading on what Social Justice is:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:Social+justice&sa=X&ei=28sHTIKVC426NdzFpLYE&ved=0CBgQkAE
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-social-justice.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,589832,00.html
Personally I don’t believe this world is fair. When it comes to fair, it comes once a year and it stinks too.
But I do believe in helping others, especially those who’ve not had a voice in the past or are powerless to help themselves (ie. Children)
As do I…by helping others we are showing His love to others. The world definitely is not fair – it is a fallen world after all and will never be “fair” – we can bring a little brightness to it by being responsible for ourselves and helping others when we can.
I have a “things to get done in the 2X th year” list (for whatever year I’m in). A few of mine include to write a short story, mentor someone, hang a piece of my artwork, take another international trip this year.
I have heard of the bucket list many times over many blogs but I really don’t know what it is. Thanks for the illumination here. Frankly, I don’t have a list but as I live my life I have become aware of the important things that I want to do. If I would make a list the first one would be the mastery of one’s self. I believe everything else follows from this.
This is going to work great for me. If something is not on my schedule, calendar, or to-do list it usually doesn’t get done. This exercise will have me map out my personal dreams and goals in the long term and the plan to work toward them.
Thank you.