Turning 50 To-Do List

I wrote this thing on my birthday, for this blog thing. The timing was right, so I figured what the hell. I read Seth Godin's blog daily. This seemed like a good way to return the favor and promote his new book. The idea being when your post shows up on the blog, you get an email, and then you soc med it on yer FB, ig, twitter whatevers. BUT, I just did my 4th submission and have received no confirmations that it posted. Could be a tech thing. OR maybe it's a psychological test! How many people who don't get confirmations stick with the rules? So I'm puttin' the shit here.

Day 1: Why are you doing the Your Turn Challenge?

I turned 50 January 19^th 2014. To honor the milestone, I made a to-do list for my year of 50. It included things like: give blood, pose nude, do stand-up comedy. The comedy scared me most. I figured if I wrote it down and talked about it, I would take the steps to make it happen. The self-determination of the idea intrigued me. Could I overcome a fear simply by adding it to a list? I aimed to find out.

Within the first weeks of 50, I found myself doing something I really didn’t want to do: stand up to bullying. I consider myself a stand-up person and have faced many bullies in life. I wasn’t afraid; I was annoyed. I knew what I was signing up for and it was tension, ostracism, vigilance, persistence and tons of documenting. I didn’t want to do it because I was busy and I knew it would take time and energy. But I completely realized I was the only one who would do it. I felt utterly obligated. I had to do the right thing.

Stand-up comedy was on my list because it terrified me, but I thought I could do it. I knew I could face a bully, but I didn’t want to do it out of laziness and self-interest. I added it to the list, to force myself. Maybe the biggest moments in your life aren’t the ones you add to a to-do list, but the things that find you and how you respond.

I spent many hours preparing for my 6 minutes of comedy. A few friends were there and a few have watched the video on YouTube. I did the hardest thing on my list and I am proud of myself. Fighting bullying took a lot more time and energy, and it made no difference and was only noticed by a few. I am prouder of that work.

It’s my birthday today. I read Seth Godin’s blog every day. The timing seemed perfect. I have things to say. That’s why I am doing the #yourturnchallenge