I watched the movie “The Bucket List” after it being recommended by one of our motivational speakers. The speaker kept emphasizing the importance of having a list of little things that we wish to do before ‘kicking the bucket’ because most of our current life’s dream lists consist of big things like a bungalow by the sea or a lamborghini. It made perfect sense to me. What motivation would a lamborghini provide when the less expensive but valuable dreams are not fulfilled? I decided to take on this and make my own bucket list, things that are not too expensive to afford now, but I haven’t done for some reason or without any reason at all. Basically these are things that I want to do, but are not in my current dreams list.

1. Get some professional photos taken.
2. Feel the snow.
3. Refresh my personal library and read my favorite novels again.
   1. Gone with the wind
   2. Doctors
   3. Love story
   4. Ponniyin Selvan (Tamil)
4. Have my hair permed.
5. Take son to the zoo or beach all by myself atleast once every month.
6. Visit Lake Palace, Thekkady and stay at the same suite we stayed on our honeymoon.
7. Sail in the sea.
8. Be awake all night doing whatever.
9. Collect favorite movie DVDs in HD.
10. Watch Ellen Show whenever I wish. And watch it live atleast once.
11. Buy Calvin and Hobbes full collection.
12. Maintain an Oil Pastels daily sketch book.
13. Inspire people and be a blessing in someone’s life.
14. Make my own personalized flash cards for son.
15. Sing on stage atleast once.
16. Perform with a professional dance group.
17. Go on a tour of Indian classical dances and learn a few steps in each.
18. Learn ballroom dancing with hubby.
19. Make a really good mouth watering curry.
20. Interview a famous person I really appreciate and admire.
21. Get son to spend quality time with my parents.
22. Spend a night at the beach with closest of family/friends.
23. Teach son to read tamil.
24. Camp in a jungle and not be afraid.
25. Read a book in a lonely beach.
26. Consciously allow myself to be addicted to something and pamper and nurture the addiction.

I’m sure the list is not complete yet, but I have some raw material to work with in life.

I believe in believing. Why yes, it all dates back to the days in my past, with disbelief in the almighty, even though I was an optimist in actions. I believed in myself and everything was possible. Except that I didn’t realize that I was missing something important. That part which I didn’t know, I either was ignorant about it or I subconsciously chose not to dig into it, lest I have to face a truth I’m not prepared for.

Anyway, things turned out well and before it was too late, I understood this important thing in life. The thing that changed me, my life and family and undoubtedly will continue to do so, in a positive way. I’m sure I wrote something related here and here, but these are topics that keep showing more new meanings in life, the more we look. There’s always a lot to explore and the things that we are going to learn shall never end.

What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. -Napolean Hill

Belief. All things tangible are so because of belief. All things superstitious are so because of belief.

A couple of days back hubby was wondering why he was fine when he ate ice creams as a child, but now when he takes ice cream, he gets a sore throat! I said, ‘yeah, when you were a child, your mind was not poisoned with the thought that ice creams cause sore throats, but now that you do, you believe in it and end up getting one’.

The demonstration of Power of belief starts early in life. Everyday when I get ready, son stands next to me and insists that I do makeup on his face. I act as if I’m applying makeup on him but he doesn’t know that I actually closed the accessories safely before putting it on his face. This happens everyday and then he would stand in front of the mirror and admire the work I had ‘done’ on his face. Sometimes I play along saying how the eyeliner made his eyes more beautiful. He feels proud and sometimes when he is not in mood, he even tries to remove the makeup with his shirt, you know, the makeup that really isn’t there.

Belief is a basic of everything. If not for this factor, what would the world look like today?