A Twist on the Bucket List

Remember the movie The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman? It went like this: Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers had nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find joy in life. Since then many people have come up with their own “bucket lists” and in fact, I was involved in a LinkedIN Bucket List that a member on a “TED Group” started. He was trying to make it the world’s largest collaborative bucket list.

But what if we changed the bucket list into something different? What if we made the bucket list into who we want to become vs. what we want to do in life? How would that change things? This was a question that was asked of me this past weekend and I’ve put a lot of thought into it. I’m guessing at this moment you might have some thoughts about this too…

  

Here are some of the things that are on my bucket list of who I want to become (and who I hope I already am). You may have similar wants and you may have additional wants. This is where it gets fun! Not every person is the same and that’s what makes it so interesting! So in the comments section below, I think it would be great fun to hear everyone’s top ideas of who they want to become or already are!

Now on to my list:

Be a GREAT person in all my interpersonal relationships – to me this means being an AMAZING mom, a SUPPORTIVE and LOVING wife, an AWESOME grandma, a daughter parents can be PROUD of, a sister who can be COUNTED ON, and a TRUE friend. Sometimes interpersonal relationships can be tricky and can take a lot of effort on our part. I can remember growing up and thinking my best friend was the most important person in my life to me. We did everything together and nothing could come between us. To this day we are still friends. There was a time during my courtship with my husband where my total focus was on him and nothing and no one else and all other relationships were set aside (I’m embarrassed to say!) As I’ve grown older I’ve found a balance between all my interpersonal relationships. I LOVE the time I spend being a mom! I LOVE the time I have being a wife, a daughter, a GRANDMA, a sibling and a friend! I think it’s important to find the right balance and to make every moment we spend in our interpersonal relationships with all these people count!    

Be a happy and joyful person – I know I’m responsible for my own happiness. This is a job that takes daily effort. Anyone can be happy and joyful, it just takes work. As most of you know I have Bipolar Disorder and I have some days that are better than others, but I have a choice to be happy and joyful or not. It takes effort. Also, I focus on what I’m in control of. There are certain things that are completely out of my control and I need to let those things go. That also helps me with my happiness. Another thing I do is I keep commitments to myself. When I keep commitments to myself, like writing in my journal, keeping my house clean, and being there for my daughters, this empowers me and gives me a feeling of self-worth which increases my happiness. I practice gratitude. I keep a gratitude journal every day. What I’m grateful for grows and this increases my happiness. I live for the present. I don’t dwell on the past and I don’t worry about the future. I LOVE the present and cherish the time I have right now! This increases my joy and happiness. I am secure in who I am. I don’t let others drag me down or let the things that others say about me (if they’re negative) get to me! I like to think of myself as “bulletproof”. My value is infinite and absolute! I view others with kindness. I try to be as loving as I can. When I try to focus on lifting other people up instead of worrying about myself, this increases my happiness. And finally, I try to laugh as much as I can! Laughter is the very best medicine! Norman Cousins who wrote Anatomy of an Illness said “Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.” So I suggest, laugh as much as you can!

Be a Woman of My Word – I learned a long time ago that it’s important that when you say you’re going to do something, you do it. It hurts when you’re counting on someone to do something for you and they don’t follow through. And for this reason, I have tried, and continue to try to be a woman of my word and do all I can to follow through on what I say I’m going to do and be.

Be Faithful – Sometimes this is the hardest thing in life to be. It takes a lot of faith sometimes when bad things happen to know that everything is going to be okay. But in my life, even after all of the trials, and I’m sure, all of you can say the same, having faith has brought you through, and things end up being okay. So having that never wavering faith, and always remembering that God is not going to give me anything more than I can handle, helps me to hold on.

Be Courageous – in times of pain and trials, to me it’s important to be courageous. My daughter Savannah is the ultimate example of courage. In two weeks she will be having her 27^th surgery. I remember (there are many things I have forgotten because of my TBI), but this I do remember, after her initial brain tumor was resected, it caused hydrocephalus and she was in the hospital and they were trying to get the levels of fluid regulated in her brain and she would get the excruciating headaches. They also had to come and draw blood every few hours and her veins were horrible (she took after me, unfortunately), and they had a horrible time getting blood from her and it seemed like she was in constant pain. I would sing to her the song from Finding Nemo – “Just keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming… Just keep Swimming, all night long.” and she would sing along and stop crying. It helped her to focus on something else other than the pain… She taught, and to this day teaches me so much about courage. She has been the ultimate example to me!

Those are just some of my “Want to Be” Bucket list items.

Please share your thoughts and your ideas in the section below. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind! And if you’ve come from the Brain Be Happy Notables Newsletter, don’t forget to go back and read the rest of the info!

Many hugs,

Cathleen

A Right Way of Thinking - Inspiration

Okay, for some fun today in our “Right” Way of Thinking we’re going to do some “What If” Journaling to uncover possibilities related to INSPIRATION that you may not know or may not have seen before. So with some colorful pens, pencils, crayons or any other colorful writing instruments and paper, answer the following questions. (Remember, you can doodle too!) Now if INSPIRATION is too broad of a topic for you, you might want to think of a specific project that you are working on where you are finding it hard to find Inspiration, and answer the following questions.

• If I was not afraid at all, I could…
• If I KNEW I could not fail, I could…
• Maybe it might work if…
• The craziest idea is…
• If I really believed in myself, I would…
• What if I finally was ready to…

I’d love to hear what you uncovered about Inspiration, or your project. Please share your findings in the comment section below!

6 Simple Steps for Inspiration

Have you ever just wanted to create something with your hands but have had a mental block and although you know you want to create something, it’s just not coming to you? Have you been asked to speak at an upcoming event and been given a title, but have to come up with the “meat” of the subject and it’s just not there? Have you committed to writing a blog every week, but have run out of ideas for posts? Are you writing a book and you’ve promised your editor copy by such and such a date, but have writer’s block? Have you ever been assigned to teach a group something, but don’t know exactly how to teach it?

I know I’ve been in almost all of those scenarios and it’s not a fun place to be when inspiration seems nowhere to be found. So where do you get your inspiration? How does inspiration come to us? Doesn’t it feel so GREAT when you have figured out exactly how it is that you’re supposed to give that certain speech? Don’t you just feel awesome when you’re supposed to teach a lesson and all the pieces just all seem to fit together? INSPIRATION – true inspiration, is what I’d like to talk about today. I find JOY when I’m inspired. There are things we can do that allow us to be inspired, personally and professionally.

1. Having a positive attitude – when we forge ahead, working on a project with a positive attitude, it is only a positive outcome we will see. If I am working on a project and I’m dealing with angry, hurt or defensive emotions, nothing is going to come to me that will be worthwhile. Having that positive attitude gets the creative wheels-a-turning and the inspiration is more apt to happen.
2. Having a good sense of humor – in this life, there are so many times we have to be serious, or do we? I say, let’s look at things in a silly way! Let’s make a funny face out of the facts! How many times have you been taught a lesson by someone when they’re cracking jokes and you remember what they’re teaching because they are having fun and have a sense of humor vs. someone who teaches with all seriousness? Someone once said, “A sense of humor is an escape valve for the pressures of life.” I totally agree!
3. Staying quiet – sometimes while working on something and you’re having times of no inspiration, it is important to just stay quiet and listen… sometimes the answers are there and we are too noisy to notice the inspiration. The answers can be in nature. It could be by someone saying something around us. It could be a thought that comes to our mind but because we are being too noisy with our mouths we can’t hear with our ears. Just stay quiet.
4. Practicing good health – Exercise, reasonable amounts of sleep, and good eating habits increase our capacity to receive and understand inspiration.
5. Capturing your Dreams – keep a notebook by your bed! Inspiration can be given in a dream when there is an almost imperceptible transition from sleep to wakefulness. If you strive to capture the content immediately, you can record great detail, but otherwise it fades rapidly. Often times, dreams are very personal and when they are it makes it easier to understand and more likely to touch our hearts by teaching us through someone we love and respect. Make sure you capture these bits of inspiration by writing them down!
6. Trusting in your Higher Power – for me this is God. When He has our trust, He will guide us! Sometimes I find myself saying “But I can’t handle it!” Those are the times that I have to give in and I hear my Heavenly Father say, “Then give it to me, and I will handle it”. I have to remember that God didn’t put me here on earth to fail, but to succeed gloriously! He wants me to be inspired! He wants me to inspire others through my CREATIVITY and through this I find JOY!

Do you have a positive attitude? Do you have a good sense of humor? Are you listening intently? Do you practice good health? Are you capturing inspiration from your dreams? Do you trust in your Higher Power? If you’re practicing these things, the chances of you being inspired to create better works of art, better speeches, teach better lessons, write better blogs and books will greatly improve by implementing these six simple steps. Let me know if you practice any of these six simple steps and how they’ve worked for you. What other things inspire you? I’d love to know this too! I LOVE feedback! And for those of you who came here by way of Brain Be Happy Notables, don’t forget to go back and read the rest of the exciting info!

Many hugs,

Cathleen