We all know about the Bucket List, a list of things to do before you die. This consists of ADDING to your life experiences, not a bad thing, but the REVERSE BUCKET LIST is even more thought provoking.
The REVERSE BUCKET LIST is a list of items that you REMOVE from your life.
Whether it be physical, mental or emotional, as we remove life issues that hold us back, we make more room for our SELVES.
I heard about the Reverse Bucket list from Arthur C Brooks in an interview on NPR. I was fascinated.
What I need to do, in effect, is stop seeing my life as a canvas to fill, and start seeing it more as a block of marble to chip away at and shape something out of. I need a reverse bucket list. My goal for each year of the rest of my life should be to throw out things, obligations, and relationships until I can clearly see my refined self in its best form.
Arthur C Brooks – Your Professional decline Is Coming (much) sooner than you think – The Atlantic
Nomads Can Relate To This Philosophy!
Anyone who’s hit the road knows the process of the “purge,” the drastic removal of physical belongings that’s necessary to fit comfortably into a tiny living space. Anyone who’s experienced it also knows it’s an emotional deep-dive. Once we wade through our emotions, we’re left with the gift of clarity. What remains is what’s truly important, useful, and relevant to a richly lived life. Minimizing is a profound practice, and one I’ve constantly refined as a nomad.
Before organizing 
Recent Feng Shui in a van 
Ahhhhh restful
Removing tangible baggage gives us a chance to reveal the intangible, unseen emotional baggage we’ve been dragging around. As we let go of physical items, we find ourselves challenged to deal with the emotional meaning we’ve attached to those items.
Letting go of my office desk was one of those things for me. I’d purged almost everything else in my apartment without too much of a struggle, but the finality of selling that desk brought me to tears.
I’d purchased it at the start of my Life Coaching business, a precious dream I’d poured my heart and soul into.
What I didn’t see coming then was that instead of building a thriving business, my life would come to a screeching halt with an autoimmune condition. It transformed me from an active, independent woman to practically bedridden and unable to drive.
Letting go of that desk was letting go of a big dream, but thankfully, another big dream was on it’s way to being fulfilled!
Becoming a nomad I again purged beliefs about what my life should be. I left my family behind to travel cross-country, and it was painful to realize I’d never be the cookie-making grandma.
My nomadic journey became an opportunity for me to discover who I am … NOT defined by family roles. The sharp grief I felt leaving my family slowly resolved, and now my daughters and grandkids see an example of a strong woman living her deepest desires, in spite of her fears. I’m not the cookie-making Grandma, but now I’m the adventure Grandma! ( Excerpt taken from Wild Women On The Road: A Women’s Guide To Nomadic Freedom In The Modern Age, © Mary Ellen Telesha, Amazon Publishing)
When we can let go of what no longer serves us, we make room for other dreams.
We Make Room To Live As Our Truest Selves.
As we remove rooms full of items that require maintenance, we’re given back precious time to deeply savor the moments of our lives.
As we let go of relationships that crowd us, we make room for higher levels of self-care and service to humanity.
As we eliminate the clutter from our mind and environment, we make room for life energy to flow through us, instead of being so cramped up physically and emotionally that we can’t move out of our own way.
As we make space in our living areas, we naturally open up space in our inner world for higher emotions of joy and freedom.
We learn to fill our lives with experiences, instead of things.
Reflect on your own life for a minute. Is there a place where you feel crowded and where you crave more of yourself? Now go and make your reverse bucket list!
That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about also .. less anxiety .. more breathing ..