Wordless Wednesday: Prabang, Laos

Developing Your Bucket List: Part 2

Watch the video first, if you are getting this via an RSS feed, click on the blue title to be able to watch the video.

Okay, here we are.  You just returned from the doctor and he told you that you have one year to live.  Your time is limited so you must make important decisions.

First, I want to to pull out your list of Core Values.  Now, while looking at your list of core values, write down 10-15 Things That I Like To Be Around:

Family
Nature
Motivated People
Christians

Once you have a list of 10-15, I also want you to prioritize these.  Put your number one on top and so forth for all 10-15. 

Next, I want you to build a list of Things I Like To Do:  Remember you have only one year to live. 

Hiking
Traveling with Family
Reading
Listening to Music

I know this sounds simplistic and juvenile but what we are doing is peeling away all of societies brainwashing on what we really want and how we spend our time. 

Most people never take the time to do an exercise like this and then end up spending their lives chasing after things they really don't want.  They spend a majority of their time doing things that they don't really enjoy and thus have this emptiness inside and are walking around with this feeling that they haven't accomplished something. 

Once we are done, you are going to have a clear list of what you want, when you want it by and how to take the steps to achieve it. 

Keep going, take the time.  This really works if you put in the 30 minutes to do it.

Next Post:  Your Perfect Day and Attending a Funeral.

SurvivorDad

I am an avid survivalist.  My professional kinda promotes it.  I was also raised near an Native American Reservation, so primitive survival has always fascinated me.

I have spent a week "snow camping" and living in a snow cave in -30 Degree temperatures.  I trekked the jungles of Central America and ate a fer-de-lance snake.  And I spent some time sleeping in a hammock in Thailand while elephants and numerous cats roamed the area. 

So this weekend my copy of Survivorman Season One showed up and we sat down and watched a few episodes.  Friday, the kids didn't have school so my son and I went for a Jeep ride up in a local Canyon.  We found a campsite on top of this canyon which was situated at 7400 Feet Elevation.  With Les Stroud's survival adventures still in my mind, I said to the family.  "Let's Go Camping"      

Needless to say it is January and the campsite was right on the snowline of the mountains but squeamish I am not.   

So I threw my excited kids and reluctant wife into the family SUV and made our way up the mountain. 

We set up camp and I built a nice big fire.

We dined on my secret campfire delicacy: Burgers, brauts and potatoes wrapped in tinfoil and cooked on a sizzling fire. 

The kids had a great time running around collecting fire wood and hunting "bears" with the spears we made. 

However, About 11:30PM, the temperature dropped and the novelty wore off.  Notice the snow in the background of the picture. 

The kids and my wife were cold so they went to sleep in the SUV, meanwhile, the family dog and I toughed it out in the tent and woke up to another big fire and a breakfast of eggs, sausage and bagels.  Survivorman I was not, but a fun and cold time we did have. 

Another memory for the scrap book.

Developing Your Personal Bucket List: Part 1

I recently saw the movie "The Bucket List" and while I think the movie itself was great, it could have delved deeper into the importance of such a task.  Why wait until we are dying to develop such a list? 

One of the portions of the financial and life planning I teach is to develop goals that are truly close to your soul, passions and being.      

The following is a step by step process to determine your core values and then to develop goals and a bucket list that is in line with those core values. 

Why would someone want to do this: 

1st - Two causes of regret and mid life crisis's in our later years are because of:

• search of an undefined dream or goal
• a deep sense of remorse for goals not accomplished

2nd - Writing down goals and reviewing them frequently will keep us on track and motivated to accomplish our goals to keep #1 from happening. 

Step one is Discovering Your Core Values

Many people try to set their goals and values based on how they see themselves through the eyes of others or by some other measure: The media, expectations, etc.

Core values are things you value or love:

Being outdoors
Staying healthy
Growing in Faith

Take 30 minutes and write down what you truly believe your core values may be and no matter how crazy or far fetched, just keep writing.

Sometimes Wanting Is Better Than Having

Now do this, go to your closet or garage and look in it.  I guarantee that there is something in their that at the time you just absolutely had to have, you could not live without it and then once you got it, you used it a little and now it just occupies space. 

Why?

Often times we buy things but they do not match up with our core values.  If you love walking outdoors but go and buy a treadmill, this makes no sense!

Make a list of all the things that you absolutely had to have but now are collecting dust and see of they match your core values or not.

Next post we'll look at What We Really, Really Want and Designing a Bucket List to Match It.

P.S.  DO NOT SKIP THESE FIRST STEPS, YOU HAVE UNTIL MONDAY!!!

Best and Worst Christmas Toys

Here is my review of some of best and worst toys from our 2007 Christmas loot.

This was a electronic year for us as our kids are getting a little older now and leaning more towards the technological toys.

Best

Sony PSP - This little game console is great for games, music, movies and even wireless internet.  It is perfect for long drives as it has a headphone jack and car adapter.

Disney Mix Stix - This is an mp3 player with about 512MB that plugs in via a USB port.  Through some music on it and your daughter will be Jamming to the latest High School Musical Soundtrack.

Worst

Guitar Hero III -I was so excited about this game and guitar. Out daughter wanted to learn guitar and we thought this game would give her a taste of the patience and dedication it takes to actually learn an instrument.  We had fun playing it, especially Dad as I jammed out to "Rock You Like A Hurricane."  However, the second day we had it, the wireless guitar stopped working and from the reviews on the internet, this is common because of rushed production to get the toys out by Christmas.  It also has some questionable themes and music so....back to the store.

Terrainiac by Tyco - Another great letdown.  We got this 50% off for our son, charged it up and took it for a spin. This toy can drive on land and water. I was skeptical but the reviews for this toy were all good and said yes it can drive on the water.  We took it down to the pond and drove in.  It worked great for about 3 minutes then stopped.  Since then, the toy only works for a few minutes at a time and then quits.  Another one back to the store!!

So we were 50/50 on major toys this Christmas, I am of the belief that the best toy for kids is still some fresh air and a large park to run around in.  Cheaper too!! 

Until next time...

Wordless Wednesday: Korn Meets God

Do You Attract or Repel People?

I've had a turn of events in the past couple weeks that lead me to write this passage. 

Several people and couples have come to me and asked for spiritual, marital or financial guidance and I stopped today to examine why? 

We've had more couples and singles come to church with us this past year than any other year?

We don't invite people or even allude to the fact that people should come check out "our thing"  They simply come up and ask if we would mind bringing them along. 

     I would like to think that it is because of some wonderful thing I've done but I really think it is God working through our family.

We've worked very hard in the past few years on Character and Value development in our family.  On truly being transparent.

We speak, act and live the values I talk about here on Legacy Dad. 

Are we perfect?  Of course not and far from it.  But, the point is we constantly strive for that as the standard not the exception.

We also speak positively at all times.  You won't hear me cracking jokes about the "old lady" and I always try to be uplifting to whoever I meet. 

I have prayed to be an uplifting person to everyone I meet for the past 2 years  because in the past I found it easy to jump on the pity or criticism bandwagon.

I'm listening to Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now" and he illustrates the fact that the words we speak have a huge impact not only on ourselves but on how others perceive us and our beliefs.

If people constantly hear us complain, put down others, or place blame for our adversities on outside forces then they assume you are a negative person and generally don't want to be around you, ESPECIALLY if they have their own problems and are searching quietly for answers.   

This is something I constantly harp on fellow Christians about and I think it further adds to some of the hypocrisy we see in our faith.

Why would we seek marital advice from someone who constantly berates or cuts down their spouse?

Furthermore, speaking positive comments alone will not create trust in those around us.  They must also see action and conviction. 

However, I believe speaking and praying for what we hope to become or strive for is the first step in creating a mustard seed in our lives which will further blossom into and full grown tree of truth. 

I have prayed for the past 3 years daily to be the best husband and father I can be and to be an example to other people and Christians.  Perhaps my prayers are taking fruit. 

There is a flip side to this as well.  When people see you fail and face adversity and moreover how you deal with conflict and adversity, it makes you more human and relateable.  No one likes people who constantly look, act and speak perfectly.  it just is not really.

However, speaking your values, beliefs and not compromising them when in mixed company goes a long way in proving your character. 

I am by no means perfect or some example to follow but somehow my families appearance, words and convictions seem to draw people toward us. 

So in closing I believe we need to first start with our words as is told in James 1:26

"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tightrein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

Next we need to place these words into our convictions as in Romans 14:22-23

"The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves."

Finally, once these words and convictions are our in heart, the Lord will do the rest to expand your personal ministry. 

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set anexample for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and inpurity."   - 1 Timothy 4:12