Within the last month, I watched two movies that dealt with impending death and the creation of to-do-before-I-die lists. The first movie, The Bucket List, included extravagant adventures, paid for by a dying billionaire (and, of course, there were non-extravagant, heartfelt experiences found along the way). The second move, My Life Without Me, was a more blue-collar take on the bucket list. I was deeply touched when the main character wrote her list-of-things-to-do-before-I-die. It included things like "tell my kids I love them many times a day, say what I'm thinking, visit my dad in jail, record messages for my kids birthdays until they turn 18, get my nails done." Nothing extravagant on her list. Each item involved simple, everyday life, yet seen through a very different lens.
What if you were told you had 3 months to live? What would you include on the list of things-to-do-before-I-die? I'll take a stab at potential items that would be on my list: tell the people in my life how much and why I love them; take a trip with Mark to a destination that feels most true to us at the time; eat delicious food, drink good wine, and laugh with friends regularly; host each of my nieces and nephews for a special day of spoiling (and leave each of them letters, to be opened at different points in their lives); give and get 20 hugs a day; spend quality intimate time with Mark; listen--to loved ones, to nature, to my heart; be completely authentic; keep a gratitude journal; spend no time in meetings or around toxic people or checking email or running errands.
Now the big question: Why wait until I have "3 months to live" to prioritize my life by this list? Why not implement this list (as much as possible) right now? What a radical and scary, yet freeing idea. Why not now?
