Bucket List

One afternoon at the beach taught more about life and in which direction to take it than the last sixteen years. On a typical hot Puertorrican day my friends and I sat on the crisp sun kissed sand atthe beach as we listened to a friend’s grandfather talk. He spoke with discernment about how he had waited until his 73nd birthday to put together a list of all the things he wished of achieving inhis remaining years, he listed childhood dreams, which he had yet to complete, and experiences he had yet to have. He continued to tell us about his plans, and with the purest smile on his eruditeface, mentioned how he had skydiving lessons scheduled for the upcoming week. We all laughed and listened in awe as he explained that people are too focused on success, money, and power, leaving behindlife’s ultimate goal: happiness. He quoted “Stop being so afraid and start living instead.”
Right then and there, I realized and dedicated myself to create a list of my own. Over a year had passedsince I began the list and today it currently contains two-hundred-and-eighty-nine activities to do, sites to see, goals to achieve, and adventures to have. Fifteen things on my list have been crossed offin the last year and I continue to be impressed with the motivations provoked by this simple list.
I’ve been inspired to do outrageous acts and face my fears, to put laziness and selfishness aside,and to ignore the various excuses my mind comes up with, in order to just do the things I would regret not doing. Now, over twelve months after that one sunny day at the beach, I have done a handfulof things I will never forget. I have jumped off bridges into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, completely ignoring my terrible fear of falling. I have read to little kids that are disabled,volunteered as the school mascot, began hiking every weekend, done zip lining, and began the process of getting my driver’s license. Now I am learning a third language, helped people that live in the...