The Bucket List - do you have one?

Chase and me around the Continental Divide Near Platoro, Colorado

You are never too young to have a "Bucket List" and I should have started one earlier.  The photo above is something I always wanted to do and that is back pack.  I just wished I had never waited so long to begin.

25 miles later from 8500 ft to 12,100 ft. and back

Sleeping was easy

Chase at an old Miner's log cabin

The reason this is today's topic is I have been spending a lot of time the last two weeks and particularly the last week getting ready for what is called a "Series 65" test to be a Retirement Investment Representative of a Retirement Investment company.  Yes it is in my bucket list and I almost got it out of the bucket today.  After this one I start another set of classes called a CFP.  People have always thought I was off so I am just proving it.

Well there is good news and bad news.  If you don't know what that means let me explain:  it is kind of like when your mother in law drives over a cliff in your new Fire Red Ford F-150 with navigation and leather seats etc.  Now does it make since?  By the way, my mother in law is a pretty good one but I still like the joke.  Ok, back to the good news and bad news.  The good news is I took the test today and the bad news is, I took the test today.  Do I need to spell it out?  I missed by one question, too many!

Now let me explain another good news and bad news story and don't get your under ware in a wad over this because I am part Indian so I can tell this story.  Here goes:  There was once a drought in Osage County and there was a chief who got concerned there was not enough food so he sent out two braves to hunt for food.  A couple of days later the two braves came back one with some good news and one with some bad news.  The chief said, "give me the bad news first".  So the bad news brave stepped forward and said, "all we can find to eat is buffalo chips".  The chief was very disappointed and concerned.  But he remembered there was good news so he asked, "what is the good news?".  The good news brave stepped forward and said, "the good news is there is plenty of buffalo chips". 

So here is what this brave learned:

• You choose to be a bad news brave or a good news brave.
• It does not matter if the news is bad but it matters did you do your best
• It does not matter if you were knocked down in defeat but did you get back up
• Defeat is temporary and success is always available to those who get up one more time

I was excited to take the test and am excited that I can take it again.  I am blessed by today and that tomorrow is coming. You must know that being raised in the Osage has made me a better person.

I can, I will and I am going to - do one more thing in my bucket list.

Encourage someone else.
Thanks for your time,
gary@thepioneerman.com

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The Bucket List