LIVE YOUR LIST | Make 'One Day' Today!

‘One-day’ was becoming a mantra for an Eleebana resident who had, for years, been talking about doing ‘lots of things’ and for one reason or another had never got them done. We all know that feeling, I’m sure! Then about 18 months ago, Natalie Murray heard my keynote on Live Your Bucket List at a local networking event.

At first, this transformational expert felt embarrassed, as Natalie believed she didn’t have a bucket list. However, following the presentation, she realised her adventure dreams were important and decided to make 'one day' today by starting off small and working outside her comfort zone.

“The seed was planted, and over a few days, I realised there were a lot of little things I talked about doing ‘one day’. So I took Kim-Cherie’s advice and started writing them down,” Natalie said.

Her list included kayaking to the sandbar near the Swansea Bridge. Not from Newcastle, the sandbar had captured Natalie’s attention when she first crossed the bridge and saw Lake Macquarie.

“I thought - how beautiful to kayak there one day – it looked so beautiful and peaceful,” she said.

Seven years later, her dream became a reality when Natalie and her husband paddled from Pelican to the sandbar about 100 metres from the bridge.

“It was scary and amazing. The water was deep, and I was worried about falling in - and sharks! In contrast, being on the sandbar was magical – just the seagulls and us, it was like we were the only people that existed.”

A strong swimmer, Natalie had kayaked once at Tea Gardens. However, her husband was experienced and confident they could make it.

“I had no idea what I was doing, or that kayaking took so much physical effort. It was much more difficult than I had thought it would be. It also took a lot of willpower to push away the idea of being taken by the current out to sea. I kept saying to myself, ‘get to the sandbar, do it, even if badly.’ And I did!”

Her pay off was swimming in the crystal clear and cool water.

“We swam on the bank side where I could see the sandy bottom and lots of fish. It was very freeing, the best feeling ever, to be totally connected to nature.”

Paddling back against the tide was a task that Natalie found difficult. It eventuated with her being towed by her husband.

“Each time I see the sandbar, it is like I‘m doing it again. I feel this sense of achievement that I kayaked out there and stood on it.”

From her bucket list, she has also ticked off going to Billabong Retreat for a day spa, seeing Bruce Springsteen live in concert and working in a lingerie shop.

As she ticked off “little things”, Natalie found each one was a commitment outside her comfort zone; they were like “mini breakthroughs” that had her stepping towards bigger dreams.

One of these was a writing retreat in Hawaii, where she wrote a book. From the unpublished works, she has designed an online program and started a worldwide community, The Higher Love Movement, aiming to connect 10,000 women with their feminine power.

Natalie’s bucket list continues to grow and includes going on a New Zealand walking tour, attending a Tony Robbins event and meeting Oprah. Her advice to other women is “if you want to do something – even if it is a bit different – absolutely do it!

“The world is abundant when you step outside your comfort zone. Living my bucket list has opened my eyes to other opportunities. And there really is no time like the present to live my life to its fullest.”

Pictured top: The kayak adventure starts for Natalie Murray from Pelican.