Bucket List of Virtues

“Souls who follow their hearts thrive;

Fools bent on evil despise matters of the soul.” (Proverbs 13:19 MSG)

In the 2007 movie, The Bucket List, two terminally ill men make a list of things they want to do before they ‘kick the bucket’. Since the movie’s release, the idea of making a bucket list has now become mainstream. If you cannot come up with your own ideas, there are websites that list thousands of dreams, goals, and experiences that you should have before you die.

In a slightly different twist on the bucket list of activities and acquisitions, I have come up with a bucket list of virtues. These are character traits I aspire to develop before I die. I imagine my ideal self, the highest level of purpose my soul could achieve. My list consists mostly of adjectives: authentic, resilient, purposeful, loyal, honest, dependable, trustworthy, gracious, wise, strong, intentional, accountable, discerning, empowering, encouraging...

My heart craves to be whole, to be the complete version of all that my soul can be.  I cannot neglect soul matters any longer. Whatever time I have left, I hope to live a life of virtue and meaning. 

What would be on Your personal bucket list of virtues? 

What characteristics do you see in the best version of yourself?