On Bucket Lists

Me and my crew...of writers and artists. Thanks Lucy Salazar, Seres Magana, and Monica Alvarez

I want to impart something useful. The secret technique to ensure you have an overflow of courage to do what you dream of. Want to know the secret? It's simple...it's being fully present in your every moment alive. Hard to do, but not impossible. If you are putting off an item on your bucket list (something you dream of doing before you die) for later I got news for you, that item is as good as lost. There is no "later" when it comes to dreams. There is only NOW. 

I did something different in the last book signing and reading we held this past Thursday, June 29, 2017 at the Public Library in Edinburg, Tx. A sort of motivational speech. I talked about the one thing that I hear everyone say no matter who they are. People from all walks of life, all educational backgrounds, all professions, even house-husbands or wives. What is that? It's "If I tole you the things I've been through, you could write a whole book about it!"

That has made me think lately, why do they say that I could write the book of the story of their lives? Why don't most people say that THEY could write a whole book about their experiences? I think it has to do with one thing primarily: fear. The fear of being ridiculed. The fear of putting down the details of their lives and finding out from a third person's perspective that it really isn't as interesting as they had thought. They are irrational fears but they are very real. For everyone. Even for some of us "established" writers, or people who are known to engage in the act of writing. 

In the event I mentioned above I asked everyone (a group of easily 50 people if not more) if anyone thought they did not have a unique, interesting set of stories or anecdotes which they could turn into a book at some point. No one raised their hand. Everyone believed that their life experiences were unique and special. Yet not even 1/8th of the room had ever tried sitting down to write their experiences down for posterity. It is surprising because everyone believed they had a unique story. So I said that I would like to see more and more people take the time to write down their experiences because when we pass away, we take the most important thing about our lives with us, our wisdom. I said, "We don't have time...Time has us." 

More times than not we get caught up in the everyday routines of life. Work, school, chores, bills, relationships, Facebook, the list goes on and on. We let ourselves get consumed by distraction. Anything that will quiet the inner voice that screams at us from deep inside begging for us to let it shine. It doesn't shine if we are constantly flooding our mind's eyes and ears with throwaway content. That's what I mean about being fully present. Does that mean you can't take a breath without being completely aware that it is happening? No. But it would be useful if we would set aside time every day to think about our accomplishments, our dreams, and our goals, and just let the inner voice speak. How much creativity could we bring out if we did that at least a couple of times a day, for about 10 minutes each time? Anyone, no matter who they are, could write a whole novel within a year. I'm speaking about writing because that's what this letter is about overall. But this idea applies to anything you want to do.

So the next time you tell someone they could literally write a whole book with all the crazy, cool, or incredible things that have happened in your life, don't just say so. Do it. You write it. Take 10 minutes twice a day. Write down anecdotes, lessons, principles, ideas in general. By the time you know it, you'll have a book in your hands and you will live forever...or maybe just have a very extended life after death as people keep reading your book 'till the end of the world. :)

Coming up July 22, 2017

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​I hope you can make it out. It will be at the library's "Mayor Eugene A. Braught
Memorial Theater​." It is a beautiful theater. We are inviting authors, actors, and other performers. So don't think it will be just another poetry reading. There will be fun for everyone. Maybe even a motivational short speech! But get there on time so you can get a good seat. There are only 174 in the main seating area. It's a theater hall, so it's going to be an amazing afternoon. Don't miss it. And tell others about it. Share the flier. See you there!
 G.H.S.