Have you ever sat down and thought about what you truly want your life to represent?
For some reason I always think back to grade school when my teachers would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My classmates and I would answer by saying things like: teacher, doctor, lawyer, astronaut, famous actor or singer, Amazon Warrior Princess, (okay maybe that was just me). It’s as if we are conditioned to think that we aren’t “Somebody” if we don’t have a label behind our name. I truly understand why so many people define who they are by their job title. The counseling centers are probably doing very well right about now as people are losing their identities from lack of work.
When I enrolled in college I was determined to become a guidance counselor. I thought that was a respectable position. I liked the idea of saying I’m Lynette, Guidance Counselor. I loved the idea of having summers off. I quickly tossed out the idea of guidance counseling, (at least in a traditional sense) once I realized that path was my idea of playing it safe.
Too many times we choose “safe” because there’s comfort in the familiar. That’s why I love songs like this one. They are affirmations to those of us who struggle with the notion of settling out of fear. We convince ourselves that job security is most important even if the work no longer aligns with our values. I’m not saying be unrealistic about surviving however, I agree with P. Valery who said, “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” Settling is like sleeping with your eyes wide open. I truly believe small brave steps towards the life you desire is better than nothing at all. I also believe sometimes we have to find the courage to take big leaps of faith.
Thanks to journaling and people who create programs like this one and this one too; I was able to identify my core values, set some goals to accomplish for this year, and start this life list to find my center when I’m feeling off balance. I decided to share it with you as a form of accountability to walk the big talk.
What about you? Do you have a life list/ bucket list that you would like to share?