Living Intentionally and a Link to a Giveaway

I have goals and dreams, most of us do, I suppose, but I seldom write them down. I sort of take it for granted that the events taking place in my life are leading me, slowly but surely, through and to those things I am meant to achieve in life. When I was younger, all I ever wanted was to join the military and get a pilot's license. I joined the military at 18, married at 22, left the Navy at 24 and largely feel like my life has been an every-day gift.

Having that attitude doesn't require anything of me really, except that I show up and be open to going along for the (sometimes wild) ride. But that attitude also means I am not living my life intentionally. If I don't live my life with a thought to my goals and dreams, then I am not really living my life to its fullest potential. In short: I am letting big chunks of life pass me by as I float down the lazy path of the slow part of the river. 

There is nothing wrong with taking the come-as-it-may route, I get to see the forest for the trees that way. Heck, I even get to see the leaves of the trees that way - and the occasional Leaf Bug hiding in those leaves!

But this post is about changing that dynamic somewhat. This post is about making a "bucket list," but since I am not fond of that term, I'm using one I saw on another blog: "Life List"

 But here's the thing. I started this post because of a giveaway that one company is doing. I got all the way down to this part before realizing that I hadn't really looked at the company's website, only two of the other blogs that made posts with the intent of entering the company's contest. So I went to the company's site and now I see that it's a site for a genetic test for the possibility of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Hmmm... Now I'm rethinking my "entry." I don't want to enter the contest any more. I don't like the thought of advertising for a company just to enter some contest when I don't know anything about the company itself. Especially a medical company.

 I am going to finish this post with a few of the things that I would put on a "life's list" but because my friend Slick, who is going to share her list with me and together we are going to work on her "Before-I-Turn-(insert age here) List" over the course of the next 10 months. If you're curious about that company and that contest, I invite you to head over to a fellow blogger's site and look into it further for yourself.  (Apologies to those who feel deceived at my change of heart!) 

Just as an intro., Slick is a longtime friend of mine and Spinster Beth's. Though we're not ready to put it out to the masses yet, the three of us are working on another blog together that I'll link to soon.

If you're not interested in that part, (or maybe you are) and want to join me in living a more intentional life and encouraging one another to really focus and achieve what we can together, please read on.

Here is a sample from my new list-in-progress:

In the next ten years, I would like to:

* Get at least a recreational pilot's license

* Go back to a high-ropes course and actually jump off the platform to catch the rope at the end, without fear

* Travel to at least 15 countries (and really travel, not just a day visit to the border towns of Mexico!) (2 down, 13 to go on this one!)

Crazy Horse Memorial mock-up

* See at least ten of the major sights in the United States (i.e.: Mt. Rushmore, Niagara Falls, etc.)

* Knit a real, fits-somebody sweater

* Create fifteen stained glass pieces and sell them to others to enjoy

* Go to bed (asleep) by 10 p.m. every night for one Lenten cycle (40 days) and see how I feel/how it affects me to really sleep so much ;)

* Run (limp?) a 5k with my older kids

* Bike 10 miles with my family

* Go wilderness/survival camping at least once

* Give only handmade Christmas gifts one year

* Get our family to a point where we are debt free except for our house (would like to see this one sooner rather than later!) and make that attitude part of our family culture

* Crochet a real, fits-somebody top (I have the pattern picked already :)

* Help my children (those that are interested) create a viable business of their own so they can see that their talents are powerful and real and they are better equipped to step out into the world, whatever the economy does

* Enter a local swimming or biking event (something like a non-running 5K must be out there somewhere, right??)

And one more goal that is even longer term: To adopt at least one child in my lifetime

That's a start, and just off the top of my head. Perhaps I'll add to it, maybe I'll stop here, but it gives me big things to work toward. It gives me things to be excited about. I hope that in the pursuit of these activities, it shows my children that we should live each day intentionally and with thought to where we are going and want to end up in life, so that no day may be wasted.

What is on your list? What do you hope/plan to make happen in your life today... tomorrow... in the next year or ten? I would love for you to share!

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