Okay. First and foremost this is NOT a "bucket list".  I'm NOT dying. Well technically we all are once we take our first breath, but no, I'm not rapidly rushing to do these things because I know something about my future. 

 

Actually it is just the opposite. I'm living... period. I'm doing all of this starting with myself to hopefully affect change in the world.  See its one thing to wake up each day with a purpose. Likewise, it is also good to grow one's personal self. However, as great as all these things are, often they lack another vital part of the equation. 

 

Helping others.  

 

So this is my guiding principle with my list. 

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Purpose + Self Growth + Helping Others + Fun Experiences = Happiness

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I strive to have a purpose each and every day, making myself a better person, yet ensure you are making the world a better place as you do it.  Be kind. Be just. Love. Help those that are in need. Sacrifice. Experience. Change. Be different all while having fun.  Help this faltering world pick up after itself a little bit. 

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This doesn't mean EVERYTHING on my list is 100% focused on solely on this concept as I still like to have fun and experience things. But, I think you'll see that even with my fun tasks, I'll find ways to make a difference.

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I call this balance and favoritism to helping others as a lifestyle -- "Calibrating your Personal Compass".  I'm also not saying you can't find this through your own spiritual means, but I am saying you personally have to be committed to the concept regardless of how you wish to get there. 

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So really, why am I doing this?  Tragic loss in my life?  Broken heart?  Near death experience?  Witness to a disaster?  Well let's say my "list" was chugging along with more focus on fun vs having a truly calibrated Personnel Compass when my "event" got me focused.  

 

I won't bore anyone with the details and the 360SelfEvolve website is so beyond this dumb event. But the event did crystallize my true thought process. See it centered on a broken heart, but after further review I realized I was stupid, foolish and overly trustworthy.  Life 1. Rick 0.  Consider the life toilet flushed on this one, but more importantly, my perspective was changed for the better.

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It did however make me think. What is really important to me in my life?  There were obviously things like my two amazing sons, but what did I want and need?  What made me happy?  Things?  Great career?  Fat bank account?  

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This is when I realized I was always a "giver". I've always wanted to have a good life so that I could provide for my family.  Who doesn’t?  But it seemed much bigger than that now. No my mind was not just accepting this basic concept. It was pushing me to do more. Beyond the traditional stuff like volunteering. No this required more involvement. First hand experiences. Making a difference and truly altering people and even animal lives for the better. 

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See I had done volunteering in the past. Soup kitchens. Habitat for Humanity. United Way.  Salvation Army. Unwed mothers. Helped the under privileged. But for what?  To check the box?  To feel good that I tried or cared?  Oh it helped these people but it didn't feel complete or truly meaningful for my happiness with my new mindset. Did I see these people I had helped again?  Bond or create a relationship?  Continued to help them?  No. So it felt shallow when I looked back on my past efforts. Simply incomplete. So to me it needed to be more than investing time or writing a check. No I had to do more. I needed to do, experience and sacrifice more.  My stupid life event had one good thing. It made me evolve my thinking much more in a manner that was non-traditional and even down right uncomfortable or awkward. 

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So on my list you will see some "re-dos" to which I will promise you these will have more purpose and meaning to me this time around. 

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Another big focus of my list is to get out of my comfort zone. My thinking is to be able to help traditional efforts in a more engaged and non-traditional way. So as you read the items that I will evolve through, understand some of these are very spooky thoughts for me (.i.e. a tattoo).  Those who know me realize the tattoo item is so off base for me they'd doubt I'd do it.  And don't get me wrong, I might still chicken out but I've had a bias towards them and how can I be that way when I've never experienced it.  Time will tell. 

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Being outside your "box" will only help you with your Personal Compass calibration.  Ultimately this and other items are to help me better make a difference for others and myself in our often challenging world with these first hand experiences.  List items also need push you. Being pushed will open your mind. I believe by removing these "learned" opinions allows yourself to grow in a much more robust manner.

 

So it needs to be about taking a deep breathe and pushing yourself beyond the lines drawn already through the years of your life.

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My ultimate goal is to slowly build up steam with awareness to these concepts in communities and organizations.  My list as you will see has some really big ticket items in there.  I personally will not be able to accomplish all of these with my own wherewithal, but with a demonstrated track record of giving -- I'm hoping to attract others who share my vision and will be willing to help support some of this bigger ticket items.  The dream would be to activate an army of caring soldiers designed to help people and animals and make the world a better place.  Goals and objectives will be to think of fun and unorthodox ways to inducing smiles and relieve some of the stress and pain that exists on this big rock of a planet.

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