Have you ever felt like there is so much you could have done in your life, but oftentimes you feel like you operate perhaps slightly behind the curve from your contemporaries? Both personally and professionally, there are moments where some would say I’m too cautious, too complacent, or too rigid in what I choose to do (or not do).

I went skydiving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin’
And he said “Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin’

Tim McGraw

In Tim McGraw’s 2004 hit single “Live Like You Were Dyin’”, the man who is subject of the song doesn’t appreciate the everyday choices he’s made in life. That is until he’s diagnosed with a condition that literally “stopped him on a dime”.

That pivotal event made him reflect upon his life to that point and realize he shouldn’t live a life of regret. In other words, just okay…is no longer okay. Why simply exist from day to day when you could make your life and those of people you love (and even strangers) just a little bit brighter?

There are times when I feel like my awareness of things is just a bit behind the rest of the world’s radar. Obviously, that could be a good thing. When I was a teenager, I didn’t go to a ton of parties and drink myself into oblivion on Friday & Saturday nights in a desperate attempt to be one the cool kids. It simply didn’t appeal or occur to me. So, in that instance, my chances of being in one of those terribly sad multi-teen car crashes dropped to zero percent, and my parents never had to answer the door in the middle of the night to a police officer with the worst news to convey.

Even though I avoided much of the negative side of trying new things, as I’ve grown older, I wonder what I may have missed out on experiencing.

Which brings me to the subject of today’s “Daily Prompt”. What could I (or would I like to) try for the very first time? Here’s a sampling of my own first time “Bucket List”.

OWNING A PICK-UP

Like many (many) people these days, I drive an SUV (Nissan Rogue) which 90% of the time is all well and good. There are those instances though where I’d love to be able to drive a pick-up in order to get stuff from point A to point B. Freezers, furniture, you name it. Plus, I just like the mind-image of me in it. Go figure.

JUMPING OUT OF A PLANE

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you already know how deathly afraid of heights I am (don’t take me to the top of bleachers at a baseball game, I might experience vertigo). So why would a guy like me want to jump out of a plane? It’s adventurous…it’s more than that…it’s moteventurous! Can they blindfold someone before pushing them out of the plane?

GETTING A TATTOO

Is there an age at which it’s too late to get a tattoo? I hope not, as that is something I’ve been thinking about for the past year or so and am inclined to do it. Nothing too radical…just a simple (yet cool) cross on the back side of my left shoulder referencing one of my favorite verses from the Bible.

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

To me, that one little paragraph is God’s gift to worriers!

SWIMMING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

I’ve become more aware of my physical limitations over the past few years (if I’d only listened about posture back in junior high school!), so this bucket list item is something I’m wanting to do sooner rather than later. Naturally, a trip to Australia involves financial planning, so I hope one day to dive under the waves and be amazed. Heck, I might even hug a Koala too.

HAVING A FOLLOWER PURCHASE FROM AMAZON VIA MY CUSTOME STORE LINK!

There’s this minimum of qualifying purchases that an Amazon Affliliate must reach in order to continue to be an affiliate, and I’m thus far woefully under that requirement. Seems like such a simple thing to do – having a reader simply click on the image above, log into their account, and purchase something they would purchase from Amazon anyway. Are you that person? I hope so (and thank you!).

VISITING THE RUINS OF PETRA IN JORDAN

There have been a number of amazing things I’ve seen in my life – the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum in Rome, the Rosetta Stone, the US Declaration of Independence, the Isle of Capri, the Grand Canyon, the Mona Lisa, and the Sistine Chapel to name a few. However, ever since the day back in the late 80’s when I witnessed Harrison Ford and Sean Connery hightailing it on horseback into the sunset from the ruins of Petra in Jordan, I’ve always wanted to witness that location myself for the first time. Truly epic and awe-inspiring I would imagine.

LEARNING TO PLAY GUITAR

Is pop music really just 3 chords? I’d love to take guitar lessons and learn how to play reasonably well. I’d think when I master it, it would be such a relaxing hobby to partake in. I still imagine me by a beach fire with family and friends, playing guitar and enjoying the evening with a little night music.

SAYING “I WILL” AND FOLLOWING THROUGH CONSISTENTLY

Many years ago, my wife and mother-in-law had a running joke surrounding the phrase “I will.” So, it’s like this: someone would ask if I could do something for them, and my standard reply would be “I will”, whether it was picking up clothes off the floor or finalizing a report for a colleague. They hounded me mercilessly to instead say “I am”, “I did”, or “done” instead. It’s one of those things I’d love to try fully for the first time (or maybe the thousandth!).

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What is something you’d love to try for the very first time? Let us know by leaving a note in the comments!