ELIANI WELLNESS by Lucy Dazilma

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Daring Greatly: Create a Life List

stone mountain georgia"To dare is to do ... to fear is to fail." John GoddardThere once lived a young adventurer named John Goddard. When he was fifteen years old, he decided that he would live his life in an unconventional and unforgettable way. There were many things that he wanted to accomplish so he pulled out a legal pad and created a life list. In this life list, he set some seemingly impossible goals; 127 of them, to be exact. He didn't want to grow up into the adult that wished they did things in their youth. Now I wouldn't know about this man had I not been reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson so I won't take the credit.When it came to dream setting, John didn't take the easy route. He set goals that were daring. His 'to do list' would make any of us cringe. I mean, it takes a bold person to kayak down the Nile River. And that was the first thing he did. Later in life, he was called “the real-life Indiana Jones” by the LA Times. Talk about living a life of fearlessness!When asked how he was able to hang on to his dreams, he simply replied: "Wonderful role models and setting deadlines. And I never give up on a dream."So I was motivated to create my own working life list. This list consists of things I've already accomplished (crossed out). I do have a daring spirit and John inspired me to dream bigger. So here goes.

Family goals
  • make a family tree
  • adopt a child
  • marry and have two children
  • love him like Kanye loves Kanye
Health goals
  • weigh 108 naked
  • get a chef and personal trainer
  • practice meditation daily
  • become a vegetarian again for 3 months (Vegan/Vegetarian/Pescatarian for 5)
  • completely switch to holistic healing
Travel goals
  • visit all 50 states of the USA
  • take a 1000 mile road trip
  • visit the grave of Nelson Mandela
  • visit the grave of Audrey Hepburn
  • kiss in front of Carrie Bradshaw's apt on an autumn day
  • pray in a Buddhist temple in Thailand
  • set foot on all 7 continents
Career goals
  • wave hello to Oprah in the hall at Harpo studios
  • attend a TED conference
  • write a nonfiction book
  • speak at a conference
  • direct a short film
  • start a mentoring group for young girls
  • take 7 continuing education courses
  • host a radio show for a day
  • create an app
  • publish 5 articles that receive national review
  • create and edit a video from start to finish
  • write a memoir
  • always maintain two clients
Financial goals
  • be debt free by 45
  • pay off parents debt by 55
  • make six figures
  • tithe
  • pay someone's college tuition
Experiential goals
  • ride an elephant in Thailand
  • go sky diving
  • climb one of the ancient Mayan ruins in Xunantunich, Belize
  •  play "shark" in the ocean in the Atlantic Ocean in Bahamas
  • snorkeling in Hawaii (I did it in Haiti)
  • spa retreat at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
  • climb the Great Wall of China
  • go camping
  • horseback riding
  • go caving
  • take pictures on the lawn of the federal palace in Lagos, Nigeria
  • ride on the autobahn in Germany
  • get detained at Heathrow airport in London (not a goal but it happened lol)
  • ride a camel in Abu Dhabi
  • cross the Canadian border
  • have a croissant in a french cafe
  • be in a pageant representing Haiti
  • eat a beignet from cafe du monde in New Orleans
  • zip line through a canopy in North Georgia
  • go on a weekend retreat without technology
  • hail a cab in NYC
Personal goals
  • learn to play 'To Love You More' by Celine Dion on the violin
  • make a list of my favorite places in Atlanta
  • live in New York
  • live in Los Angeles
  • move somewhere foreign for 6 months
  • ask a guy on a date
  • get a total of 10 tattoos
Charitable goals
  • donate $1000 cash to Girls, Inc.
Spiritual goals
  • read the bible in 90 days
  • go on a 10 day mission trip
  • draw circles around every major decision
  • become a prayer warrior
Well-being goals
  • create a community garden
  • create a yoga group for anxiety sufferers
This is a pretty extensive list, I must say. But if John Goddard could spend his 88 years of life fulfilling his dreams then why can't I? Or you? Imagine how much of life you could experience with a little bit of dedication and discipline. Will you take control of your life or let life happen to you?