What's on Your Bucket List?

I hear people talking about things to check off their ‘bucket list’, all the things they want to do before they die.  One friend recently went sky-diving, another went swimming with dolphins, several friends’ children have graduated from college, a girlfriend completed a Triathlon, and a couple spent 10 days in Italy (sans kids!). As I get older, I’m realizing my mortality a little bit more with each passing year. Most people have one, but I wonder how many of us are making an effort to check those items off our bucket lists.

I guess my 20 year journey of working in the health and wellness field has brought me to finally check off Massage Therapy school on mine. I met my husband in 1993 when I was working in a chiropractic office   doing physical therapy and rehabilitation. He was a patient with chronic back pain from years of skiing moguls and a lifetime of heavy weight lifting. He always considered himself an amateur bodybuilder and cheered on many of his close friends as they competed in bodybuilding competitions for years. My husband is a very humble guy and never thought of himself as the kind of person to showcase on stage his years of hard work and dedication in the gym.

David took me to the gym with him and I was quickly bitten by the weight lifting bug. I loved weight training, pushing myself, and the self –confidence I quickly realized with regular training. I got certified as a Personal Trainer/Nutrition Counselor and while still working full-time as a chiropractic assistant, started a side business personal training. Working in a very well established fitness center enabled me to build a clientele and I soon transitioned to private clients, traveling to their homes. I always considered becoming a massage therapist, but obstacles such as time and finances always deterred me.  One thing I routinely did with my personal training clients was emphasize the importance of stretching, and I did lots of hands on stretches with them.  The results from a few specific stretching techniques such as PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) and passive stretches were always amazing to me.  Even though I wasn’t doing traditional massage, I was always focused on the hands on approach.

Leaders in personal development are always quoting inspirational things about change and growth is required for each of us to reach greater levels of success and happiness. I have seen how true this is in my own life.  The endeavor I set out to accomplish two years ago to go to school full-time in an allied health career has given me the confidence to continue my education and go for the next degree. I can’t WAIT to check that one off my bucket list. My husband, at the age of 47 finally took the plunge and competed in his first bodybuilding competition…CHECK!

As I eagerly check off my list, I seem to be adding more to the list more rapidly.  So what are you doing today to get one step closer to checking off that list?