Isn’t that just the best?

I have always resisted making bucket lists because they felt like New Year’s Resolutions to me.  I figure, why do I need either when I live my life the way I want (almost) every day?

Though I don’t have a bucket list, I do have a reverse bucket list.  If you’re wondering what that means, well, I simply acknowledge my bucket list-worthy experiences after they happen.  I do it because when I celebrate and feel thankful for the good things that happen, more good things happen.  Besides, we are all too hard on ourselves.  We often tend to focus on what we aren’t doing, or what we are doing wrong instead of what we are doing right.  Why not balance that out?  Why not celebrate the wonderful things we get to experience?  I have seen this balance shift in my life over the years.  Don’t get me wrong.  I still struggle and have hard days, but I can assure you that when I celebrate, notice, focus on the special things that have happened, it’s easier to notice more good things that happen.  And they happen for all of us. 

It’s just a matter of what we choose to focus on.

Wine tasting in Chile or ziplining in Costa Rica don’t have a place on a bucket list for me.  Those are amazing things that I celebrate and am thankful for, but that I also expect will happen.  In my own personal definition, a bucket list is reserved for the most far-reaching, unexpected things.  My true bucket list experiences are always things I never would have or could have imagined for myself.  They are so much better than my own imagination.

Winning the Nerium Reflect Your Youth Contest was one of those unimaginable experiences.  I never ever would have conceived that any part of it would fit into my life.  The top-secret weekend in Dallas was beyond my expectations, and getting to be a part of the surprise reveal of the winners at our national convention was the icing on the cake.

The whole weekend was a whirlwind.  We revealed the surprise early on, so luckily I didn’t have to battle my nerves for too long in anticipation of going on stage in front of 15,000 people.  We were escorted backstage and had the chance to enjoy our first reunion since our weekend in Dallas together.  We  were lucky enough to spend time being silly with and getting to know the amazing group of people leading this company.

  It was amazing to get to see all that happens behind the scenes and the hard work and incredible coordination that is put into such a massive event.  Before we knew it, the big moment arrived, and we were introduced on stage in front of 15,000 people.

Throughout the day, they played each of our videos on the megatron.  I’ll admit, it’s surreal to see yourself on a screen (or 3) that large!

The rest of the weekend was perfect spending time with old friends and family, making new friends, working towards becoming better people, and learning more about the exciting future we have with this company.

Now that 2015 is here, why not kick it off by reflecting on your great experiences from 2014?  What’s on your reverse bucket list for the last year?  Try it.  It might even be small at first, but once you start to notice, the sky is the limit for what 2015 will hold for you!

Wishing you all a very abundant and joyous 2015!