Bucket List Parallels

In the past 5 months I've accomplished two of my major bucket list items. 

-Move to a new state...preferably one with mountains.
-Jump out of a perfectly good airplane...preferably with a parachute and professional attached to me.

Check and check.

Although they are super different life experiences, some of the fundamentals of finding enjoyment out of the two are very similar.

If someone pushed me out of the airplane against my will, or even forced me to go skydiving to begin with....I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Same thing goes for cliff jumping.   At my best friend's cabin last summer, we went cliff jumping into the lake.  We all jumped or dove, from varying heights according to our comfort level...but if someone didn't want to, we didn't make them.  Of course everyone at times needs a little encouragement.  And a little peer pressure is good when you know deep down the person wants to.  But we never forced anyone.

If you're forced to jump, the whole fall you are in panic mode.  You don't enjoy the experience. You are angry and freaked out.  If anything goes wrong, you blame the people who pushed you against your will.  Sometimes you even try to grab onto something to stop the fall. Anything to get back to that comfort zone.

I've found this same concept to be true for moving...or any new life change for that matter.

If I had been forced to move to Colorado, at the first sign of loneliness or fear I would have panicked.   I would have blamed the situation or person for forcing me to move.  I probably would have become bitter.  I maybe would have wanted to get back to that comfort zone so badly that I would have moved back.  I probably wouldn't be seeking out new adventures.  Trying new churches all by myself.  Putting myself out there by hanging out with new people. 

But thank God, it WAS my choice. I wasn't forced or pushed.  I was led here by God through a lot of prayer, internal interests, and crazy "God-things".  I chose to jump.  I'd like to think that even if life's circumstances had forced me to move, I would still do everything the same as I am now and have the same positive attitude about things...but I'm not really sure.

When I get lonely or bored it's my responsibility to either fix that by prayer and/or action... or just dwell in it for awhile and then move on.  I don't have anyone or anything to blame.  

And I love that. 

So choose your own adventures.  Follow where God is leading you.  Don't be scared of the leap.  You can have all the support and encouragement in the world (which you should!!), but YOU have to take the leap of faith into your own new adventure.  We all are pushed and forced into life's twists and turns enough the way it is. 

My new adventure was born out of getting laid off.  Not exactly something I wanna celebrate.  But God had a plan through all of that and He chose to share it with me.

Now, I live in Colorado.  And am loving it.    :)

And the adventure has just begun.....