Today I write this post having been blessed to celebrate year 41 and very much in full on rest and recharge mode. Over the last year, I took #teamtoomuch to the max celebrating turning the big 4-0 by doing 40 things. “Things” ranged from experiences and trips to activities like reading and writing. The key was living with “intention”…doing what I enjoyed. You may be wondering…how did the 40 for 40 experience come about?
Honestly, I can’t remember exactly when the idea hit me but year 39 was a hard year. I battled a personal health situation and for a brief moment, thought my life would fade away sooner than later. I lost two young family members to cancer - both vibrant women in their 20s with so much life ahead of them, so we thought. While this part of God’s plan will forever be hard for me to understand, one thing became very clear - the reality that tomorrow is not promised regardless of the future I’ve imagined.
Once fully recovered from my health scare and given the time to grieve, I was confronted with my own mortality. I felt compelled to take on the 40 for 40 journey as a commitment to myself - to live life by design. I opted to pass on the commonly used “bucket list” as an anchor given its focus on the end of life and started to build what I affectionately call my “live it” list. My list started organically and grew quickly with ideas from other people, books, socials - everywhere! I realized while curating the list how many things I am interested in doing but eventually forget about because I simply didn’t write it down. An initial target of 40 activities is now well over 100! Completing 40 was A LOT but I can’t stop living now. The plan is to keep working through the list doing a few things every year - perhaps getting through 50 before 50???
As I reflect on the 40 for 40 experience, I realize this was an ambitious undertaking and tough to balance with an already demanding schedule. The highlight was sharing so many experiences with family and friends! I stepped away from socials while “life was life-ing” and didn’t share this journey. As I return to my passion for writing, I have relaunched my blog with a focus on sharing these experiences in the hopes that it will inspire you, too, to live with intention!
One day when I pass, I will posthumously host the most LIT (do people still say that?) celebration of life you’ve ever seen with the theme “Don’t cry, I lived.”
Call to action: Grab your phone and start your “Live it” list TODAY! Ask yourself, “What would you do if you knew you only had a year to live?” Don’t wait on a milestone birthday, retirement, empty nesting, etc. to enjoy your life - do it now.
You only die once, you live every day.
- Snoopy
Vive vitam! (Live Life)
Megan.