MonTuesday's Motivation

As I approach the eve of my oldest son's elementary school graduation, it has caused me to do some reflection.   While reflecting over the last 11 (almost 12 *gasp*) years of his life, it made me think,  everything in a child's life is marked my milestones.  When they need shots, when they say their first word, their first tooth, when they take that first wobbly step, the first day of school, the first dance, the first date...well you get it.  I started thinking--at some point they emerge into adulthood and we stop counting the milestones (usually after college graduation) unless it is their wedding or the birth of a baby, or some other life event.  It made me wonder, why do we as adults stop counting milestones.  Why do we stop attempting to reach milestones.  I know that life, careers, children and partners, cause us to reshift our focus away from ourselves, however, I think it's important to have a parallel focus.  If you do not work towards reaching milestones, it sends a message to your children and others.  And if you have children--they do leave and then it's just you....  Have you noticed that most middle age people go through a phase where they "re-invent" themselves?  They decide to live in an RV and travel the country.  They leave steady jobs after umpteen years to go raise goats in the outback.  They change themselves so drastically others sometimes don't recognize them.  I think these drastic measures are the cause of them not setting and reaching intermittent parallel milestones during their early years and now they go to drastic extremes to "live".  I'm saying all of this to say--don't wait until you need to make a drastic attempt to live because you are drowning as a result of your focus being tilted so far away from your needs and wants.  It's time for action!!! Do it now, get out a piece of paper,  a journal or notebook and start to write some milestones you want to reach.  Call it what you like, but make a "bucket list", sometimes we have to do things like this to realize, tomorrow isn't promised--Live TODAY.  Dance like no one is watching and enjoy the ride, even if it is a roller-coaster! (put your hands up and scream!)