A bucket list is defined as a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.”
I prefer to define more simply as a list of things that will set our soul on fire.
As years pass and we get older, we can either choose to start doing what sets our soul on fire or we can make excuses for not participating in life. The choice is ours. Create a bucket list, write a book, dance in the rain. Whatever you choose to do, be sure it sets your soul on fire. Where am i going with this?
613 Days
In exactly 613 days I will be turning 40. I used to be scared of 40. I used to be so concerned about what everyone else thought. However, now that I have made it to 38 1/2, I really don’t give a shit what others think. This life is mine and mine only.
I decided to create a road map, a bucket list, a to-do list whatever you want to call it according to my goals, my dreams, and my passions.
Dumpster Fires or Reminders?
If you ask most people, 2020 and 2021 were dumpster fires. Most people focus on mask mandates, the world shutting down, and the huge inconvenience COVID caused us. Bucket lists were put on hold for many people.
Me on the other hand—I remember quiet days at home with my kiddos. I remember decorating our windows with hearts to provide a little hope, moving into a new home—one that I knew would be filled with more love, laughter and memories, brining home our new baby girl. I remember reconnecting with friends in a simpler way—conversations in the driveway with more than six feet between us.
2020 and 2021 reminded me what mattered the most to my heart. It reignited my passions and my love for simplicity.
Before this, my bucket list of things to complete before I turned 40 would have probably been filled with extremely grand things. Instead, it is filled with things that I want to do—not what the world is telling me to do.
I invite you to join me on this journey. If you are turning 20—pick 20 things that speak to you. If you are turning 63 use my 40 as a starting point for your own list.
Most importantly if you ever choose to create a bucket list, I hope it is filled with everything that speaks to you!
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40 Things Before 40 Bucket List
40 things to do to feed my soul before I turn 40
- Go to a local farm and pick a fresh bouquet of flowers.
- Learn how to make sourdough bread successfully.
- Enjoy a warm piece of that sourdough bread fresh out of the oven.
- Get a breast reduction.
- Watch the sunrise and the sunset in the same day.
- Be social media free for one week.
- Read an entire book while sitting outdoors.
- Join a book club.
- Send postcards to 10 friends on our next vacation.
- Camp in our backyard with our kids.
- Host an outdoor movie night!
- Host a lemonade stand.
- Solo vacation.
- Run a marathon—yes 26.2 miles!
- Bake a cake with my kids.
- Finish a crossword puzzle.
- See The Nutcracker.
- Take a cooking class.
- Buy a book at a local bookstore.
- Try a new lipstick color.
- Write a letter to each of my children.
- Write a letter to myself to read when I turn 50.
- Complete forty small random acts of kindness and document it so I can remember how each one made me feel.
- Spend a weekend away with my husband.
- Hug a redwood.
- Take a pottery class.
- Get a blowout.
- Try cupping therapy.
- Buy groceries for a family behind me in line.
- Organize my pantry.
- Visit a Medium.
- Stretch for five minutes each morning, three times a week.
- Complete a 1,000+ piece jigsaw puzzle.
- Make a candle.
- Make sage bundles for smudging.
- Send someone an anonymous gift.
- Go to a book signing.
- Go on a yoga retreat.
- Create photo bins for my kids.
- Kiss my husband good morning each morning we are together.
Will you choose to let life pass you by or will you create a bucket list to help you start living again?
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of The We Spot, its employees, sponsors, or affiliates.