Giving to Self - Once in a Lifetime [or at least once in a lifetime]

[Shawna]

So February 2nd is my 40-something birthday. My friend Heidi suggested giving myself the gift of doing something I have not done before. I am looking for ideas on ways to give to self that this community believes everyone deserves to do at least once by 40 or 50. Since I am thinking this is a pretty cool idea, I am aiming to collect at least 45 suggestions I intend to accomplish before my next birthday. I would truly welcome your recommendations, thoughts, stories...whatever.

Peace,
Shawna

[Julia Kovach]

I'm now 60ish but around my 40th birthday I went para-sailing with my daughter - it was awesome! I still want to sky-dive and plan to do that before I'm 70 - looking down on the world from a "birds eye" view is just something that makes you realize how beautiful our world really is - I retired two years ago and had always wanted to start a nonprofit - with a friend of mine, we are beginning our second year - we're just a baby organization and while we have a long way to go to accomplish our goal of uniting artists against hunger, we were thrilled to have been able to make a $900 contribution to Heifer International! It was really great to do something for others who are trying to help themselves. Bottom line:
1. Do something a bit scary for you (I'm afraid of heights)
2. Do something a bit scary for you (I'm afraid of failing the nonproit)
3. Do something a bit scary for you (I'm very shy and scared of responding to blogs such as 29-Day)
Happy Birthday!!!!!

[Shawna]

Egads! So, let me see if I understand you...Do something a bit scary...well, the good part of that is that that descriptor makes possibilities VAST!

Starting a non-profit, cool...

[Shawna]

After explaining my idea to my friend, Connie, she decided that at 62 she would start a list, too. Only her idea is to make it perpetual and to have one item on it for each decade of her life. So, she will make a list of 6 Firsts and when one item is complete, another will be added. Her first First will be to learn to play a few bars on the harmonica of the song What a Wonderful World! She is very non-musical so this little concert should be a hoot. :-)

As for me, my first adventure was to visit a pawn shop. Yes, well, I had no need before but was curious. A good buddy went with me. Gave me what we would call the whipper wills [creeps] at first, then hum. Next, I am running for election for a seat on our practitioner council. This could prove to be an interesting, BUSY year!