What's on Your Bucket List?
I’m curious. Do you have a bucket list?
For my Australian and European friends, do you have bucket lists too?
A bucket list is often a collection of things you want to achieve or experience before you "kick the bucket," or pass away. They can include anything from skydiving to visiting a new country, to starting a business or hobby and more.
I don’t remember how the topic came up but my husband and I were probably talking about how hard we are both still working and, as we start to think about retirement, we realized we don’t have a plan! Let alone a bucket list. LOL.
As we talked about it, I realized that saying "thank you" to people who have made a significant impact on my life is probably more important to me than a list of places to visit or things to do.
Travel and hobbies are exciting, but recently, I had an experience that reminded me of the importance of thanking people, when the opportunity to do so presents itself.
Quick story…
My Dad is 93 years old and we’ll often go out to dinner on the weekends to catch up. This past Sunday, while we were eating at one of our favorite spots, I noticed a familiar face at a nearby table. It was Thom Weisel, the founder of Montgomery Securities, the investment banking company where I started my career as a secretary and later worked as a junior analyst.
I recognized him right away and I was filled with joy at the opportunity to thank him for that experience from my youth. It was my first “real” job after college. We’re talking 40 years ago now and I never thought I’d run into him.
My secretarial "cube" was right outside his office. You’re going to either laugh or gasp in horror when I tell you that one of the tasks I had to perform was washing out Mr. Weisel's bowl of cereal in the morning. This task rotated between the four secretaries who worked closest to his office. This was back in the dark ages, so don’t be horrified. I’m sure things have evolved since then. Regardless, I have many fond memories of that time in my life. I did many much more interesting things than washing out cereal bowls but that memory did stick with me.
As soon as I recognized him, I knew that I wanted to approach him and express my gratitude. I had always wanted to thank him for giving me the opportunity to work at such a great company and for the support and encouragement he had given me along the way.
Long story long, I realize that expressing gratitude, and seeking out opportunities to thank the people from my life who’ve had a positive influence on me is probably more important to me than visiting a country I haven’t been to before.
How did this blog post turn into a conversation about gratitude when I asked you at the beginning about your bucket list? Who knows, but here are some ways you can add gratitude to your bucket list:
Write a lovely card to someone who has made an impact on your life. Whether it's a mentor, friend, or family member, expressing your gratitude in writing can be a powerful way to show your appreciation. To make this even more special, order beautiful cards from Tash Zahn and send those!
Practice gratitude daily. Take a few minutes each day to reflect on what you're grateful for. This can be as simple as jotting down a few things in a journal or saying thank you to a loved one.
Pay it forward. Show your gratitude by doing something kind for someone else. Pay for someone's coffee in line behind you. They’ll be so grateful!
I’m still interested to know what’s on your bucket list. I’m clearly very behind in figuring out those places I want to visit or those hobbies I want to start before I kick the bucket. Your list might inspire me!
See you next week.
xo,
Anne
It’s Never Too Late to Create®
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
