If you had only a limited time left to live, would you change aspects of your life or keep everything as it is? Are you regularly experiencing moments of joy and satisfaction, or have you been “doing the hard yards” for quite a while now, in the hope that something good will eventually be waiting for you on the other side? Here’s the crunch: You – and I, and everyone – only have a limited time left to live!
Of course, we all know that to be true, so can we conclude anything from it? I’m not intending to imply that we should avoid all that is difficult, and only go for what is fun and easy – quite the opposite: now is the time to do the things that are scary, that we’ve been putting off, that may be holding us back. Those things that we might not yet have tackled because we are hoping that they will resolve by themselves while we continue avoiding them, and those things that we wish we could do but cannot find the courage for.
Maybe you’ve been wanting to go on a trip to a place that has long holds much fascination for you, but so far you didn’t dare go because you could not find anyone to travel with you? Maybe putting on make-up every morning is taking up too much of your precious time, but you are afraid of what people would think of you if they saw your “naked” face? Maybe you’ve been hoping to try out that yoga session, or dance class, or to go to the gym for the first time in years, but you’re not doing it because you’re not in shape? Maybe you really need to have “that conversation” with your father but you’re scared of the changes it will bring? You want to improve your cooking, or write your book, or learn an instrument?
Now is the time, and there will never be a better time than now. So be brave!
Being brave does not mean not being afraid: it means doing it while being afraid. So, start writing a list, make it your personal BRAVERY BUCKET LIST. Here are some ideas for headers for your list:
I dare myself to…
My dreams are…
Conversations I need to have are…
And also…
Be specific. Break it down into small steps.
And most importantly: Celebrate your wins as you tick the successful adventures off your list.
You’ve got this.