A Bucket List Contest

Friends having a party

Everyone loves a contest, the chance to win something they want. Millions of people buy lottery tickets every week, knowing full well the odds are against them. But it gives them time to dream.

It’s not surprising that when the media interview people buying tickets for a particularly large lottery prize, they always know what they’d do with the money: quit their job, travel around the world, put their grandchildren through college. No one ever says “I’ve never really thought about it” because everyone can fantasize about what they’d do with millions of dollars.

Not all dreams are big. Some are simpler, smaller: take your family on a real vacation, get that swimming pool for the backyard, give money to your church.

But they’re all dreams, important dreams that you want to accomplish before you die. You know you’d feel bad – regretful if not guilty – if you died without doing those things. I’ll bet there are things right now you wish you had done with a friend before they died.

Huffington Post, in partnership with “The Buried Life” TV show, is running a ‘bucket list’ contest. The “What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?” contest will award $2,000 towards the fulfillment of your dream.

You may say, “that’s not much” or “that’s not enough”, and perhaps it isn’t. But it’s enough to fulfill a lot of people’s dreams, and even enough to begin to fulfill others.

The link below describes the contest, and a link in the article lists the rules. The contest is open only to people in the lower 48 and District of Columbia: residents of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and other countries are not eligible.

What would you do with your $2,000?

Would you throw a fabulous party for all of your friends?

Would you go visit that friend you haven’t seen for years?

I know what I’d do: I’d spend the $2,000 on a month away from home, so I could finish the first and second drafts of my book. I have a couple of places in mind; I might split my time between the two. The weather wouldn’t matter, but in both places, I could walk for exercise and to think.

So, again, what would you do with your $2,000?

If you don’t have an immediate, clear, passionate response, ask your friends what they’d do. Get some inspiration from them.

Start dreaming.

And whether you win or not (deadline for entries is April 19), why not commit to doing something right now, today, to make those dreams come true. 

I bet your friends are up for a party.

What Would You Like To Do Before You Die?