Jump Starting a life...on List Making Tuesday...

It's the dead of winter.  A cold and stormy day.  The wind is whipping the bare branches of the trees so hard you fear they may snap.  Unfortunately,  you have to go somewhere.  You bundle yourself up in your heaviest coat, boot , wool hat and mittens (all black to reflect your depressed mood brought on by months of cold darkness ) and wade your way through the twelve inches of snow to reach you lonely, frozen car.  You yank hard on the driver's door in an effort to get it open and plop down on the seat.  Un-gloving your hand, you slide the small silver key into the ignition and turn.  You get nothing.  No noise, no sign of life, nothing.  It doesn't even try.  What now?  You need a jump start...and that will require a kind soul to help you out.

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So what do you do when that scenario is real?  Not real as in you can't start  you car but real as in you can't seem to start your life.  Major changes have come about and you just can't seem to get a hold on anything that will pull you out of the depths of the depression you are in.  You seek the advice of a friend.  A kind soul to help you out. 

Ta Da!  Here I am!

My ideal life is bouncing from one thing to the next.  Does that make me flighty?  Maybe.  But, the thing is that I know that life is about the little things, the experiences that we have.  You will not die remembering how many nights you spent watching tv.  You will not die remembering the name of every book you read.  You may not make a huge impact in the world in terms of wealth or popularity.  You may not become the worlds greatest humanitarian.  But you will remember the experiences.

So, I say BOUNCE!  Bounce form one thing to the next and rack up as many experiences as you can.  Make your life memorable even if it's not perfect.  Make it worth it, even if it isn't easy.  Live your life...and do your best to enjoy every minute of it.

IDEAS TO JUMP START YOUR LIFE...

• Get a part-time job at a place you never would have thought to work...a pet store, a fast food restaurant, a kennel, a grocery store...don't be afraid to quit if it is too much for you to handle.
• Write a book...about anything.  Parenting, lifestyle differences, self-help, fictional, children's.  Just write what you know.  Write your legacy, your life story...for your child.
• Paint a picture (like one you said you would do for a friend!).  Put everything you have into creating something amazing that can be cherished by someone.
• Take a class.  Any kind of class...educational, art, hobby, classes offered online, at a craft store or through community education.  Just learn something and it could open doors you never knew existed.
• Meet someone new.  Anyone.  Male, female, elderly or child.  Introduce yourself to someone you don't know and strike up a conversation.  You never know what kind of friendship it could become. 
• Create a work of art.  A sculpture, an afghan, a song.  Make something beautiful and then share  it with someone unexpected.
• Start a new business venture.  Get hands on and come up with a plan of attack and just go for it. 
• Take a trip.  Explore your surroundings.  Experience the world you have at your fingertips.
• Visit an old friend...one you haven't seen or heard from in a while.  Make a date and enjoy that person's company.  Talk, listen, laugh, cry and remember.
• Volunteer somewhere...a woman's shelter, a dog pound, the local Boy/Girl Scout office.  Count your blessings as you help others learn and grow and you see those less fortunate than yourself.

Don't cite money as an issue.  Don't cite time.  you can do these things if you want to.  "Don't bitch about something that you won't work to change."  Just Bounce...from one thing to the next until you have experienced more than your fair share in this life.  Just enjoy those moments that you have for you are way more fortunate than many of those around you.

After all, you have the awesomeness that is me on your side.  :)