I hate using the phrase bucket list because it implies life's like a grocery list of to-do's. Not to mention I despise the sound of that haphazard term. Check. Done. Check. Done. Sounds rather unfulfilling when your dreams are laid out that way. So, I'm just going to call it as it is. It's a dream that's coming true!
You probably guessed it. The book's not about cats. It's a witty and satirical follow up to my first book Living with the Dragon, Healing 15 000 Days of Abuse and Shame, and takes a unique spin on looking at life. Filled with sarcastic punchlines and deep-dish insight, I'm looking forward to sharing my latest project with you.
In the last several months, I've made a conscious effort to put myself out there to broaden my peripheral view on life. I not only feel a boost in my self-esteem, but I also feel that I'm socially more comfortable in my own skin than ever before. I've attended a number of social functions where I knew very few to know one at all. I've gone to business seminars and conferences that I normally would have turned down the moment I heard they were taking place, and I went on a number of dates just for the hell of it. A dear friend once told me that going on dates is like going for a series of job interviews: you gain practice and experience hoping someday for that perfect match. As it stands right now, I remain unemployed.
As my collection of friends begin to show their age (with knee problems, high blood pressure, cholesterol challenges, balding), I sometimes think about some of my own aches and pains including my lower back and knees after playing intense games of basketball. And when I think about recent celebrities passing away at the young age of 75-80 years old, I begin doing the math of the remaining time I might have on this planet. So at the turn of the New Year, I reached several conclusions. Not resolutions. Conclusions.
My delightful millennial coworker Stella often teases me at work about my Gen X philosophies and idiosyncrasies. When I was in my 20's I never would have imagined going to bed at 8pm and that's one of the many things about me that she banters about. When I explained to her that on my dating profile, I included that I like to have meaningful conversations about life, she exploded in laughter pointing out that it's far too serious and a turn-off to say that. After her brief 101 on dating, I stood back and said yikes...she's right! Thus, I elected to save the meaningful conversations about life for a blog or with my close friends only.
I felt free. Free of internal judgment, fear and self loathing. I felt my best self come alive.
One of the many things that motivates us as human beings is about making connections and doing things that matter to us. Whenever we do things that have value to us, we have purpose. We strive for a subconscious contribution to something greater than ourselves. We yearn to belong to something and to someone. We want to be valued.
We are constantly learning new things whether or not we are consciously aware of it. It's all part of personal growth and development that makes each of us unique. Now in my forties, I've realized how much my perspective on life has changed over the years. Once feeling invincible, I now feel a sense of humility.
We often hear the term "Coming Home" or "The Journey towards Home" when it comes to healing and self-help. What are we acknowledging? Where can it lead us? These are questions I asked myself as I return home from a business trip.
Some days are rather ordinary and uneventful, yet some days, it feels like I'm making a big splash and a difference to the mental health community.
