1. Stay up so late you see the sun rise.
2. Spend an entire day in my pajamas.
3. Dance until you can’t stand up.
4. Buy a random stranger a beer.
5. Donate something to charity.
6. Send an old friend a postcard.
7. Reconnect with someone you miss dearly.
8. Witness something truly majestic.
9. Laugh so hard you cry.
10. Help a complete stranger for the good.
11. Run a 5-minute mile.
12. Skip a class to do something spontaneous.
13. Listen to music so loud you get in trouble.
14. Sleep underneath the stars.
15. Break the law. (It’s healthy every once in a while)
16. Discover and fall in love with a new song or band.
17. Go to a class you are not enrolled in, just to learn something new.
18. Learn Yoga. (Yes Alina, this one is for you)
19. Learn a new skill.
20. Rekindle an old skill.
21. Do something that reminds you of your childhood.
22. Make a new friend.
23. Go on a date.
24. Ace a major test.
25. Beat someone obviously better than you at something.
26. Post something on Facebook/Tumblr/Other Social Media that gets 50 or more comments/likes/reblogs.
27. Create something original and then showcase it.
28. Cook something delicious.
29. Gain 10 pounds or lose 10 pounds - whichever is healthier.
30. Go 48 hours without eating just to prove it can be done.
31. Truly forgive someone for something they did to hurt you.
32. Find something you thought you had lost.
33. Organize an event.
34. Do something you’re afraid of.
35. Be humbled by something.
36. Ignore technology of any avoidable form for an entire week.
37. Throw a party for no particular reason.
38. Do something memorable on someone else’s birthday.
39. Publish something/get something published in a newspaper.
40. Teach someone something.
41. Get rejected from something, and then go around and create something better just to spite them.
42. Get invited to something memorable. (a.k.a. Be an A-lister)
43. Wear a suit for something important.
44. Make someone laugh so hard something comes out their nose.
45. Be part of the table that is so loud everyone else listens to your conversation.
46. See or do something so moving it makes you cry.
47. Find a part of you you didn’t think you had.
48. Stubbornly persist, because the limits of your stubbornness will go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits.
49. Eat the best food in Waterloo.
50. Film something fantastic.
51. Shake hands with someone really important.
52. Do a business transaction.
53. Go to an artsy event.
54. Learn a new song on the guitar.
55. Learn a new song on the piano.
56. Visit someone who wasn’t expecting you.
57. Show the world where your priorities lie.
58. Take a kick-boxing class (or something along those lines) and try not to get your butt whooped.
59. Save someone’s life.
60. Stand on top of a building/Climb a very tall building.
61. Go vegetarian for one week. For bonus points go vegan for one week.
62. Paint over half your body.
63. Make a very large public display of affection.
64. Wager something absurd in a single hand of poker.
65. Make a memory for someone.
66. Enjoy a fabulous bottle of wine, some nice cheese, and the company of a girl you care about.
67. Enjoy a cold beer, some nachos, and the company of someone a guy you care about.
68. Discover something that truly makes you happy.
69. Do something sexy.
70. Donate blood.
71. Buy a piece of art.
72. Spend an entire day in silence.
73. Fight for something worth fighting for.
74. Get to know a complete stranger.
75. Spend a day with a Shad.
76. Read a book cover to cover in one sitting.
77. Make a dream come true.
78. Plant something.
79. Improve something forever and for always.
80. Listen to the sound of complete silence.
81. Get up before anyone else.
82. Plan a trip and then take it.
83. Do slam poetry.
84. Paint.
85. Decorate something.
86. Get a grass stain that extends through more than one piece of clothing.
87. Ruin a pair of socks.
88. Sing and dance in the rain.
89. Tell a complete stranger how much you love them.
90. Do something that makes someone cry happy tears.
91. Make someone’s day.
92. Wear a funny hat. All. Day.
93. Spend an entire day without shoes on.
94. Take someone’s breath away.
95. Fulfill a life-long goal.
96. Stand up for a complete stranger.
97. Find peace in the midst of chaos.
98. Come so close to winning, only to have defeat snatched from under your nose, and remember how fickle life can be.
99. Write a real letter.
100. Complete something meaningful.
A Fresh Start
So, in the nature of trying new things and recapping those that have already passed, I figured this was a good place to start.
Almost 2 full years ago now, I started this blog with a crazy idea I had one night - finish 100 ridiculous things in 1 summer, and see where life takes you because of it - since then I have met some incredible people, made new friends, traveled Europe, worked for companies I loved and hated, passed exams, stressed out big time, had relationships, lost relationships, broke hearts, had mine broken, lost friends, and even gotten into some trouble.
But seeing as things are constantly changing, and growth is important, I plan to finish what I was not able to last summer: all 100 things on this list.
There are some tough ones, don’t get me wrong, but I plan to do it right this time.
100 or bust.
Round 2. Here we go.
Post with 2 notes
To My Loyal Followers
Two things:
I failed you.
I didn’t complete my list in the time-frame I had promised.
But I plan on completing it, because I’m that kind of person, so I will continue to update it as I can.
BUT
IN THE MEAN TIME.
I’m starting a new blog!
I’m on a health kick (though I really do hate the word “health”. What the hell does that actually mean?) so I’m deciding to bulk up, get in shape, and make something of myself this term.
But, having bought an awesome book recommended to me by a friend, I have made a few notable changes to my thinking, one of which being thatdocumentation is everything.
So, to keep me accountable, I’m starting a blog of all my workouts, meals, measurements, and of course, how I feel about everything along the way.
So, you may be asking, “But sir, what can I do to help?”
Well, my dear followers, that is very simple:
Follow me.
Ask questions.
Be active.
Support me, hate me, criticize me.
Just do something.
In the end, we all want to better ourselves for some reason, and mine is to be the best I can be. What does that really mean? That means I want to be the best I can be so that the people around me, namely you, can get the best out of our friendship (or whatever it is we have).
SO my new blog is:
beanstalktobuffin15weeks.tumblr.com
The password you will need is “4 hour body” with the spaces included.
If you can’t read that, it’s “Beanstalk to Buff in 15 weeks”, and I plan on completing my goals.
I will post a complete list of my goals, and then you, my peers, can hold me accountable to them.
AND IF I DON’T COMPLETE MY GOALS
I will post the before pictures of me in my underwear on my blog.
If that isn’t incentive, I don’t know what is.
So thanks for following me! And I look forward to your comments!
50. Film something fantastic.
So my dear friend Braden had this crazy idea to run around Ring Road in full snow gear.
Not such a big deal right?
Well, what if it’s 35 degrees outside, the sun is right above you, and the humidity is around 90%?
Yea. Big deal.
So he needed someone to videotape him as he did this amazing adventure, because as anyone who dares to push the limits of social acceptance, pics or it didn’t happen.
And a video is like a lot of little pictures.
So I videotaped him on this run, and for anyone who cares, he did indeed succeed in his goal to run around Ring Road. He had to stop once, but I claim it was just for dramatic effect.
Regardless, it was a really cool idea, and I’ll post it here whenever he finishes editing it and puts it online.
57 down, 43 to go.
An amazing team, an amazing season, an amazing comeback and an amazing victory!
Post with 1 note
48. Stubbornly persist, because the limits of your stubbornness will go well beyond the stubbornness of your limits.
SO this term I had the amazing opportunity to play intramural sports with some people from my residence.
And because I’m an adventurous person, I tried a sport I never was very good at: Ultimate Frisbee.
A lot of people think it’s kind of dorky, and made for nerds and indie kids (which is partially true), but it’s actually amazingly difficult and very physically taxing.
I got the opportunity to play with some amazing people, and I managed to find a place within the team in a role I’m pretty good at: running.
I just ran and ran and ran and made space for the better players.
If I run deep into a corner, then someone has to cover me by backing up, and so I make more space for the other players.
Simple concept, and if everyone does it, you have a decent shot.
So we managed to play a very very very good team in the finals.
I know right? WE MADE IT TO THE FINALS.
Not sure how that happened either, but we did.
And this team was fast. Holy mother they were fast.
They ran us ragged for the first half, and we found ourselves being suffocated by their fast press, and quick break.
We were down 5-2 at the half I believe.
And our team leader, captain, debatably best player, and dear friend, Ben, stepped up to the plate, and gave a speech for the ages.
My personal favourite, “When you’re tired, and can’t run, run.” - Ben Scott.
What a leader.
But I guess it worked.
We came out flying in the second half, and managed to force a few tricky turn overs.
Our secret weapon Peter, a big 6’5” basketball player (super quiet, very hard working and can jump like no one I’ve ever seen), forced a critical turn over on the last defender and scored us a quick second point. It was beautiful.
We managed to race our way back with 6 straight points to win the game 8-5.
I would be the first to admit the other team was better, and if they had as many subs as we did, we probably would’ve been congratulating them on a fantastic season, and a well earned victory.
But for some amazing reason, our team pulled it together, the stars aligned, and we ran and ran and ran and ran, just like our fearless leader instructed us to, and at the end of the day, we walked away Champions.
I am so proud to have been a part of this team. Though my contributions may have been small and far between, I hope each and every player got as much out of this experience as I did.
I’m still going to have to work on my flick though.
56 down, 44 to go.
Post with 1 note
47. Find a part of you, you didn’t think you had.
So this one was tricky, but I managed to pull it off.
I was having an internal conflict about what to do for Talent Show at the end of the term. It had been an amazing term, I had some stuff on my list to complete, and I wanted to strut my stuff.
So I decided to go ahead and do a slam poem, which you can read more about here.
But I was really quite scared about the way everything was going to come across. The poem I had written for this, which is found here, wasn’t exactly kind and considerate (at least to begin with) and so I was contemplating doing a piece by another amazing artist.
But really my biggest fear was just to be accepted for who I am and what I am capable of. I found Grebel to be an amazingly welcoming and hospitable environment from the first day I walked through its doors, and I thought what better time to give it your all than now?
So I somehow mustered up the courage to get up in front of a large group of people and do my slam poem (I did the other poem too, but it wasn’t as good) and surprisingly, it went over really well.
The poem, if you care to read it, basically bashes the world in which we’re living in, the kids we have become, and the failures of our generation.
But then, there’s a big pause.
And in that pause, I felt something very unique.
For the first time in my life, I felt whole, I felt in control, and I felt a remarkable sense of peace amongst my peers. It’s not very often that you can find a group of 60+ people who are willing to accept you for exactly who you are. But that’s exactly what Grebel is.
In that moment, I looked out and saw the attentive, passionate faces of the people I cared about so much, and I knew that they cared as much as I did. They really were not afraid to look straight into me, and I wasn’t afraid to show them.
It’s that kind of respect that you find once in a lifetime, and that’s the part of me I found that day.
I found a true sense of courage, of desire, of passion, of love and peace, and I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
55 down, 45 to go.
33. Organize an event.
This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I made my list, but I guess it counts.
I organized a group wing-night which involved about 15 of us going to Crabby Joe’s down University for 39 cent wings.
Which was FANTASTIC by the way.
I highly recommend it.
I got a Schooner (BIG ASS CUP) of beer and 20 wings for a grand total of less than $20 (including tip and taxes).
Pretty awesome.
And the event went over well! Some of us even went to see a movie as well!
Pretty solid.
54 down, 46 to go.
Post with 1 note
44. Make someone laugh so hard something comes out their nose.
Well okay, so I kind of cheated on this one, but I think it might just have been the single funniest moment of the summer.
My brother walked up to my dad today and was listening to TGIF by Katy Perry, and he looks at my dad and asks,
“Hey Dad, what’s a manage a trois?”
My Dad, a little stunned by the response, simply turns back and says
“How am I supposed to know? I don’t speak french.”
I just about died.
Milk came out of my nose I was laughing so hard.
Great parenting Dad. Well played.
But, I think it should also be mentioned that I made my sister laugh so hard she spat grape juice all over the kitchen.
I don’t remember what I was talking about but I think I ended up saying a snide comment to my brother and something.
So there you go.
Two stories for the price of one!
53 down, 47 to go.
Post with 1 note
35. Be humbled by something.
So I was just about to go to sleep the other day, when a particular book caught my eye.
I grabbed my high school yearbook and opened it up.
The first thing that grabbed my attention were the amazing messages people had written in my year book. There were only a few, but they meant so much.
It made me realize that it has been over a year since those messages were written, and it’s amazing how much things can change in a year. I was so certain of who I was coming out of high school, only to realize I had no idea who I was once I hit university.
In this past year I’ve gone through great tragedy, great happiness, great change, and great stillness. I realized how powerful time can be, and how despite the difficulties that arise with overcoming time and distance, those who really care about you will do it regardless, because that’s the kind of people they are.
I’m amazingly fortunate to have everything I do, and there are many days when I forget that.
But today I was humbled by the memory of who I was and the time gone by, specifically in this past year.
53 down, 47 to go.
10. Help a complete stranger for the good.
So this one happened a long time ago, but I just thought about it now.
I was walking back from hockey with my roommate Matt and we were just outside of the Physical Activities Center when a car drove up and asked us for directions.
They were asking how to get to the Activities Complex or something. And they had a map.
Matt and I were like… uh… it’s right there? But we looked at the map, and realized they were looking for Laurier instead of UWaterloo.
Common mistake.
I told them to just turn around and head back down university, and when they hit the high school, to take a right.
I felt like I had done my good deed of the day.
52 down, 48 to go.
Page 1 of 7
