My Answer: There're Only So Many Somedays

There’s been a lot of uncertainty in my life as of late. A lot of things going on with family, other things going on with friends, and even in my business. There are things I can control, and those I can’t, and still those I wish I could. In this uncertainty, I’ve actually been able to gain some clarity, though. I’ve gained clarity about some of the people, some of the “things,” and some about myself.

In gaining the clarity about myself, it occurred to me that there are still so many things I want to do, and the cold, hard fact is this: I’m not getting any younger. I refuse to admit I’m old, mostly because I still have a lot of energy and can still do lots of things. Maybe not the same things I did in my 20’s, when I went out every night and danced, drank, got up and went back to work, but I still do lots of things.

There are places I want to travel. There I things I want to learn. There are things I do now that I know I could do better and there are things I do now I wish I didn’t have to. Let’s face it, being retired and being able to do as you wish has a certain appeal. Until then, there are things that need doing - and there are things that “NEED” doing.

There is never a lack of things that need to be done. Getting firewood for winter, mowing the yard, housework, meals, all the other mundane or normal things that always need doing. But the things that also NEED doing are enjoying life more and doing the things you love, which is different for everyone. I could spend hours, probably days, spinning, knitting and reading novels. I could spend more hours caring for and riding my horse, going for hikes with the dogs and sitting around a campfire at night.

I recently started reading a book series from author, Debbie McComber. The fourth book in the series is titled “Twenty Wishes.” While this book focuses a lot around finding love, the one thing that struck me is the group of main characters, a small group of widows, who came up with an idea for their own lists of twenty wishes. They thought very hard about some of the things they added to their lists, and some were things they just had within them they knew they wanted to do. Within the storyline, as people hear about these ladies creating their lists of twenty wishes, they in turn start making their own lists. Some created scrapbooks for their wishes and, as they came true or as they fulfilled a goal, added details and photos to their books.

So, of course I began my own list of twenty wishes. I added some things that would appear crazy to many people. Like what, you ask? Well, a couple of the crazy things include skydiving, waterskiing and having my own teaching homestead. Other things on my list that in my opinion don’t fit in the “crazy” column include writing books, buying a camper and going camping, and exploring more of the United States.

It makes me wonder what other people’s lists would look like. What are some of the crazy and not-so-crazy things you’ve always wanted to do? Wouldn’t it be cool if folks in our little town of Lincoln started making their own “Twenty Wishes Lists?” I think so, and if you’ve ever inclined to share yours, I’d love to see them!

Maybe one of the reasons looking within, wanting more and making fanciful lists appeals to me so much is that I’ve had what feels like a lot of death around me for several years now. Those I loved, family members and those whose lives have had an impact on me in some way. What it has taught me is death makes you realize how finite everything is, and how fragile life is. We never know when it will be our time, but when it is there are no do-overs. It’s over.

So what are you putting off for a someday? What would your life look like if you made a list of twenty wishes and today started trying to achieve them? There’s a quote out there, I’m not sure by whom, but it goes something like this: “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Me, I’d be a little bit of who I am and who I have been, and then I’d take some of those things to another level. I’d live more, worry less, have faith, trust myself and have lots more adventures.

I invite you to take a step back, gain some clarity from your experiences, make a list of your own twenty wishes, and start fulfilling them right now. Live your life, have new adventures, make new memories, retell the ones worth sharing. And in doing so, be reminded of this last quote I came across recently: “There are seven days in the week, and someday isn’t one of them.”