Bucket or F**k it list. Why both are vital to our well being.

We all have those lists. All of the things we want to do one day. The ever popular bucket list. It can be a fun and motivating exercise, but is it serving you well?

We can easily save or put off the things we want to do, because we think we have our whole life to do them. We believe we don’t have enough time, money, or freedom right now. The tendency is “I can’t now, but one day I will…”  These adventures and experiences get stuck in our minds. Holding on to a list of all we want to accomplish in our lifetime makes our lives somehow feel more meaningful. Yet, as time continues to pass and our bucket list fully remains, this list of unfulfilled dreams and desires can lead to restless discontent.

I’m not saying that bucket lists are a bad thing. They can fuel our inspiration. We can visualize ourselves taking trips to Africa on safari or learning to play the cello. It somehow brings our life to life. We feel more alive in our daily mundane tasks knowing we still have our future spark. However, in order to keep a healthy relationship with our bucket list there are two things to maintain. 

1. Give your list a tether to the present moment. 

• Breaking the bucket list up into seasonal “want to’s” can give your list a timeline. It sets a container for action. Plans can be made, money can be saved, and we can live in the excitement of moving closer to our dream. It becomes something you actually cross off.

  

Now this second part is very important. I mean it with sincerity. It is not with any vulgarity or irreverence. It brings you much closer to your truth. I would like to introduce the sister of the “bucket list”... the  “f**ck it list”. Not as well known, but equally as gratifying. It’s a pure empowerment strategy. 

2. Engage your bucket list with discernment.

•  Is it tainted with ideas of “woulds” and “shoulds”? Is your list made up of things you think other people wish you would do? Or is there some false sense of self that keeps you moving on a misguided path in feeling like you ought to be able to follow through on something? If your beautiful beating heart doesn’t surge with excitement, then officially move it to the “f**k it” list. It is no longer compatible with who you are becoming.

     In order for your bucket list to have a pulse, review and re-evaluate what is fitting at this point in your life. Let it evolve as you evolve. Question if what you wanted then is really what you want now. As we age and as we grow, so do our needs and desires. If something from 3 years ago doesn’t resonate with who you are now is it really relevant?  It’s very powerful to let go of ideas and beliefs that are just occupying valuable creative real estate and draining your inner resources. Allow the f**k it list to initiate the truth of your truth. 

The Middle Finger in Yoga: The reverence of truth in any form.

Certainly this is an offensive gesture in our culture. And we try not to use it often in order to keep the peace. However, there are some interesting correlations to expressing ourselves angrily and this mudra in yoga.

In yoga, there is reference to the energy of the middle finger as symbolizing a dissolution of the emotions of anger and impatience. Each finger represents both planetary, elemental, and karmic energies. As a Tattva mudra, pertaining to the elements, the middle finger represents ether and the ability to speak and hear the truth. 

**A mudra is a hand gesture that initiates and symbolizes inner resolve.

Take a few breaths and give way to the attitude of attuning to your truth. Dissolve any anger an impatience and let go of what no longer serves you.

Let the f**ck it list become a balanced part of your bucket list. Dissolve any held resentment and impatience and fine tune your ability to hear and speak your own truth. Live closer to the heart of what you want.