posted on May 13, 2014 by Danica Winters

Living a Bucket List

Island Bride Book CoverMaybe you want to learn a new language, travel to New Zealand, or climb Mt. Kilimanjaro before you run out of time. Or perhaps your desires are more simple, just things that you keep putting off because life gets in the way, like seeing your sister, or visiting your daughter in college, or maybe you want to have coffee with a long-lost friend. Regardless of which items you have on your bucket list we all have one thing in common, one simple thing that resonates in us all – we all have the desire to get more out of life.

In writing my latest short story Island Bride, I was approached by my publisher with a simple prompt, “If your friend died and in their memory you were forced to visit one country on your bucket list, where would you go?”

When I asked myself where I would go, I would think of a place only to stop myself with a million excuses.

I couldn’t go there.

I’m too busy.

What would I do with my children?

What about my job?

In my denial of following my dream (and vicariously my character’s), I realized a common truth — we are our worst enemies in life. We, women, are often the keepers of the peace, the breadwinners, the comforter, and/or the sentinel of our family. We identify ourselves through what we do for others, and often how we can please them. Identity is important, but in the constant strive for perfection we often forget our dreams, or what we will do “one day.” When we lose those desires, we get less out of our precious moments.

Montana Mustangs CoverThis blanket truth was the kernel idea of Island Bride and the beginning of a new train of thought in my family. As I wrote, I realized that those things on the top of my bucket list were simple; I didn’t need to eat bugs or see unexplored jungles or the Great Wall of China. The thing I desired most was true, unadulterated happiness. I wanted to laugh until my cheeks hurt.

Life has shifted since Island Bride. I made a choice to stop waiting for a spare second to live my bucket list; instead I’m making time for those things that will get me more out of life. I found that instead of making sure my home was spotless for guests or friends, I followed my heart and spent those prized seconds joking around with my children; because, if I only had one more day I would wish to it spend laughing with my kids rather than worrying about the judgments of others. I soon realized that in order to get more out of life, we must Live Our Bucket List rather than wait for when following our dreams is convenient.

I hope as you read the book, you find it to be as transformative as I did. I hope that some of your excuses will fall away and you will live your bucket list, instead of waiting for the “right” time.

So, what’s on the top of your bucket list? Or, better yet, where are you going?

dwIf you want to share what is at the top of your bucket list, I would love to know! Find me on Facebook or Twitter and share your dreams!

danicawinters.net

In the mood for more from bestselling author Danica Winters? Her award-winning novel, Montana Mustangs (Voted BEST PARANORMAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE OF 2013), is on sale for only $0.99! Grab your copy now!

 

Danica Winters

Danica Winters

Danica Winters is a Publishers Weekly, Walmart, and Amazon bestselling author who has won multiple awards for writing books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and occasionally a touch of magic. Her books have won numerous awards, but she says that her greatest joy is hearing that the worlds she creates have helped to provide escapes for those who need it most. She loves to travel to meet her fans, sign books, and participate in book festivals, reader events, and industry conferences. She is also the co-owner of Self-Publishing Services, LLC. SPS is a successful and lucrative company owned and run by Montana women. SPS is partnered with Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, and Draft 2 Digital. In addition to her writing and publishing, she spends a great deal of her time mentoring up-and-coming authors in every genre from children’s fiction to science fiction. Books are her passion and her life. When she’s not working, she can be found in the wilds of Montana with her husband and two children (all love books). Her daughter often helps her handle her fan mail. Danica Winters is represented by the amazing Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

https://authordanicawinters.com

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