Bucket List

I have never thought much in terms of having a bucket list.

I have had plenty of fun adventures, but I pretty much enjoy just being wherever my feet are! Being present with the people, the places, all of it.

About 5 years ago I noticed that one pervasive thought kept creeping in ever so often. And that thought was… It would be absolutely amazing to meet Bob Goff.

I have all his books (Love Does, Everybody Always, Dream Big, Catching Whimsy, Undistracted, and Live in Grace Walk in Love) and his joy and ridiculous love inspire me tremendously.

About 2 years ago I was in a workshop led by Nick Poe of Tall Pine Books (the publisher of my book Loud Is Not A Language).  Nick asked who we would like to sit down and have a conversation with if it could be any person on the planet who was still alive today.  I didn’t even have to think about it.  Bob Goff.  No question.

We were asked to write a letter to this person, not to send necessarily, but just to put it “out there” into the realm of prayer and possibility. The mix of realizing how much I desired to meet Bob along with the question of how in the world that could possibly happen made me tear up. I sat there fighting back tears from running down my cheeks.

Have you ever wanted something like that? Something that touched such a deep place inside of you that it didn’t make logical sense? I mean, why would I cry about meeting some guy who wrote inspiring books? Lots of people write inspiring books!

I decided that reaction, whether I understood it or not, made meeting Bob worthy of a bucket list.

And two weeks ago it happened!

I was almost scared for it to happen because I wondered if I would feel lost or sad to have completed the one and only thing on my bucket list!

But do you know what happened instead?

My vision grew. The landscape of possibilities became clearer. And I left his beautiful place in southern California (The Oaks Center) with a complete reset – with an awareness of what had always been with me that I hadn’t seen.

This is – and isn’t – about Bob Goff.
He is a wonderful man and his “sweet Maria” is truly a gem.
But this is about going after what we don’t see that we can reach.
It’s about not letting go of dreams.
It’s about doing what you feel might be the only thing.. and discovering so much more was always there. Just in hiding.

So what’s on your bucket list?
What feels out of reach to you?
What makes you tear up even though you don’t understand why?

A deeper place inside of you understands, and if you will just go for it without having to understand you will discover treasure you didn’t know was there… even though it has always been.

Brenda is a believer in impossible possibilities. In brokenness becoming beautiful. In justice and mercy and honor and power – with love perfecting them all. She is a wife, mom, mimi, daughter, and friend who also enjoys speaking, writing, and coaching.