“Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.”

My friends who have known me a long time can attest that I’m always into something.

I’ve been a writer, guitarist, a radio DJ, artist, missionary, marathon runner, theater actress, and music journalist, just to name a few. I strongly considered becoming a chef, and it was only a twist of fate that steered me away from a cooking school in Florence, Italy. I’ve told funny stories and sang songs at open mic nights. I studied yoga for two years. I’ve had brief affairs with designer fashion and home decor. I have a number of tattoos.

This isn’t to say that I stay all over the map. My truest passions were ignited and stayed lit. I still love cooking. Despite how challenging it is (or perhaps because of it), I can’t seem to stop running and am training for my 5th race. And I’ll probably be a writer until the day I die.

As I’m just in my mid-30s, my bucket list is far from complete. I still want to complete a triathlon and learn how to ride a motorcycle. I want to earn a doctorate degree. And although, I’m pretty sure I’d be bad at it, I want to surf… just one time.

I guess I’ve always considered life to be a buffet and it’s all there for you to sample. I know that if I died tomorrow, I’d leave with few regrets because I’ve tried (and sometimes failed at) just about anything and everything that interested me in my life.

“There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.”

When you look over your life, how many leaps of faith have attempted? How many new things have you tried? Are you satisfied with where you are or is something inside of you begging to step out into more?

Fear is probably the biggest bucket-list-killer. It makes you hesitate, question your motives, and stalls you into inactivity. It wants to convince you that if you try you’ll fail. And you know what? Maybe you will, but that never ever means you shouldn’t try. You have talents, interests and passions that you may be unaware of. All they need is a little push in the right direction.

I believe life is inherently challenging. Even if you never ventured from your home, trouble and heartache have a way of finding you anyway. That’s just the way it is. So instead of letting life throw you here and there, why not take the bull by the horns and make it your adventure. Dismiss the fear. Rewrite your bucket list and keep rewriting it, because your journey is full of surprises and the biggest one of all is all the potential that lies inside of you.

“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So, get on your way!”

All italicized quotes from Dr. Seuss’s Oh, The Places You’ll Go