Life is short, and tomorrow is not promised to us. Get the most out of every day you have, and live each day as though it could be the last. Here are 100 things every person should do before they die.
1. Travel to as many places as you can…experience the beauty of the world from every angle.
2. Tell your friends and family just how you feel about them, and how much you love them.
3. Laugh until you cry.
4. Hold a baby, and kiss its tiny feet.
5. Volunteer, so you can see all of the things that you have to be thankful for.
6. Play in the rain, and jump in every puddle.
7. Read a really good book, then give it to a complete stranger to share the joy.
8. Pick wildflowers and appreciate nature’s beauty.
9. Go skinny dipping.
10. Fall madly, deeply, truly in love.
11. Go to the beach, and let the waves tickle your toes. Appreciate the vastness of the sea, and its beauty.
12. Engage in a random act of kindness for a complete stranger. You will feel amazing after helping someone you don’t even know.
13. Write the novel you’ve always dreamed of writing, even if you are the only one who will ever read it.
14. Stay up all night and watch the sunrise.
15. Visit an amusement park and ride every ride, even the scary ones. Nothing makes you feel more alive than facing your fear!
16. Go skydiving, for the same reason as above!
17. Visit the best restaurant you can find, and order something expensive to eat. Remind yourself that you only live once!
18. Drive really fast down an open road, or better, on a race track, in a fast car.
19. Swim with dolphins, or dive with sharks.
20. Find where your favorite band is playing their next concert, and go see them, anywhere they are in the world.
21. Make love outdoors, under the stars.
22. Rescue a pet from an animal shelter.
23. Get your affairs in order. If you have children, draw up a will. You may not need it for years, but go ahead and have one done, then tick it off your list of things to do.
24. Have an adventure, do something exciting and risky, like hiking through the jungle, or climbing a mountain.
25. Go to London, and drink a pint of beer at a pub overlooking the Thames River.
26. Pig out on all of your favorite foods, without feeling guilty.
27. Audition for a play, or a movie. Or become an extra in a movie…make your mark in showbiz history!
28. Have a professional portrait taken of yourself.
29. Become a parent, godparent, aunt, or uncle, and do something amazing for the child you are responsible for.
30. Read a funny book to a roomful of children, and enjoy their laughter.
31. Learn to play an instrument, even just a little bit. Experience the joy of making music.
32. Go on a blind date.
33. Flirt madly with a complete stranger.
34. Pay for the person behind you in line at a drive through restaurant.
35. Leave a large tip, $100 or more, and watch the waiter or waitress’ expression through the window as they discover the tip.
36. Visit a real haunted house.
37. Bake a cake completely from scratch.
38. Roast marshmallows over an open flame.
39. Camp out in the woods and enjoy the silence of the wilderness at night.
40. Visit a children’s hospital, and bring gifts.
41. Run in a race or marathon.
42. Set a goal, and achieve it.
43. Get in your car and drive without knowing where you are going, just go where the road takes you.
44. Visit a drive in movie theater.
45. Go on a shopping spree for a whole new wardrobe.
46. Get a complete makeover, including hair, makeup, and clothing.
47. Get a full body massage.
48. Make a large charitable donation to a good cause, or one you feel strongly about.
49. Donate food to a food bank.
50. Go to New York, and visit the Statue of Liberty.
51. Plant a garden or a tree.
52. Pay money to have your name placed on a bench, brick, or building, and be remembered by people who never even met you.
53. Learn a magic trick, and perform it in front of a complete stranger.
54. Learn to laugh at yourself.
55. Learn to love yourself, even your flaws.
56. Learn to forgive others, and be forgiven by them. Life is too short for grudges.
57. Pay to send your parents on vacation, or send them a really thoughtful gift, just because.
58. Learn to dance.
59. Watch your favorite sports team play a live game.
60. Travel by train overnight, on a train with sleeping accommodations.
61. Visit the Seven Wonders of the World.
62. Find a busy place, and watch people go about their daily business. Become aware of your surroundings, and the little things you miss each day by rushing through it.
63. Trace your ancestry, and build a family tree. Gather as much information as you can from elderly relatives, and enjoy spending time with them while you have them.
64. Drive down the main street in your town, with the windows down, music up, and sing along to a happy song. Wave to people, and let your smile be contagious.
65. Live in a small town. Really get to know your neighbors, and feel the closeness of the community.
66. Visit a big city, and feel truly small.
67. Visit a castle, and feel like a King.
68. Watch a really sad movie, and let yourself cry.
69. Throw a party for everyone you know, for no reason at all.
70. Submit a photo or article to a local paper, and see your name in print.
71. Ask someone out on a date.
72. Apply for your dream job.
73. Learn a foreign language.
74. Get a tattoo.
75. Spend an entire day in bed, alone, or with someone.
76. Be a hero to a child.
77. Be brave. Ask for a raise at work, or ask out the person you’ve been secretly in love with.
78. Spend three months, or more, in a foreign country. It takes at least this long to become fully submersed in the culture and the people, and it will give you a new perspective on life.
79. Be responsible for a child. Become a parent, or babysit, either way, being responsible for a child makes you see the world differently.
80. Play the lottery.
81. Visit a casino.
82. Get married.
83. Have your heart broken.
84. Teach someone to do something that you do easily.
85. De-clutter your home, and your life. Let go of emotional ‘junk’ cluttering you up.
86. Make someone smile, or laugh.
87. Be a good neighbor, and offer to house-sit or pet sit.
88. Put a message in a bottle, and drop it into the sea.
89. Tie a message to a balloon filled with helium, and let it go.
90. Stay out all night with friends.
91. Ride on a motorcycle.
92. Backpack across Europe.
93. Create something.
94. Learn self defense.
95. Learn to meditate. Practice often.
96. Learn to ride a bicycle.
97. Watch a live performance of a play or musical.
98. Write a list of all of the things you are thankful for.
99. Do something that makes others smile.
100. Spend one day living as though it were your last day on Earth. Be grateful if it is not.