Inspiration NOW

I'm a huge fan of the Amazing Race show. I was born with itchy feet and a desire to see things and experience life in all its aspects. Unfortunately, all too often those urges are relegated to the background as mundane life takes over.

This afternoon I was looking for something on Google Earth, and wondered if anyone had tracked all the Amazing Race places (they haven't - I will soon!). Which led me to find out exactly which places they've been to. And in turn I ended up at Phil Keoghan's site NOW - No Opportunity Wasted. If you're short of a few dreams and seem to have lost your "lus vir die lewe" (lust for life), his story and website would be a good place to start in order to regain it. Specifically the Lists page.

I need to sit down and make my list. Again.

One evening my son and I watched "100 places to see / things to do before you die" and got all inspired. We started listing places and things, and it turned into quite a session. As he's still young, he had about 20 on his list - I got up to 60! Yes, I'm a dreamer.

And then I started thinking today. Why am I waiting to do the things I'd love to do? Surely my list doesn't only need the Big Stuff on it, the stuff that seems way out of reach right now?

What if I sat down at the beginning of each week, and listed one spectacular thing I could do within 7 days? Something to experience, a place to go, a fear to face or a dream to fulfil! Now that's do-able!

You see, every day we get 24 hours worth of opportunities to live. At the end of most days I can't tell you what I've done with mine, but generally they've slipped quietly away. It's like I'm treading water, waiting for something big and exciting to happen instead of pushing onward from one adventure to the next. Living.

Like that big Africa dream (see my Africa Trek blog at right...). It seems to have been put on the back burner - but why? And my love of travel - why is the furthest I've gone recently to Paarl, less than an hour's drive? Why am I sticking cash into things like broken washing machines and paint for the walls, instead of investing in the stuff I dream of?

I don't know. But I think I'm going to sit down this evening and make a list. A list of small things, a list that will have me jumping out of bed each day to enthuse over its possibilities.

Inspiration has struck.