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Handsome, smart, adventurous and philothranthopic? Stand back girls, 26-year-old Sebastian Terry is too busy zipping all over our fair planet achieving extraordinary things to stop for a quick flirtatious chat. Alas.
This brand new author, with a degree in Human Movement, is certainly a jack of all trades. Having held almost 100 jobs in his relatively short lifetime, Sebastian admits to a series of casual jobs that have kept him pretty much constantly on the move – from ski instructor to working in hospitality.
“My main goal was to only work in fun jobs,” says Sebastian , who calls the beachside Sydney suburb of Manly home. Whenever he’s actually home, that is.
Recently, Sebastian reached a point in his life where he realised he was truly happy with his direction . . . a realisation that occurred whilst being shot in Colombia as part of Number 73 on his oftentimes bizarre Bucket List – Get Shot Whilst Wearing a Bullet Proof Vest.
The extreme content of this Bucket List has, not surprisingly, gone on to become a book, published by Ebury Press, 100 Things: What’s on your list?
The inspiration behind Sebastian’s new book was actually born of tragedy . . . the unexpected death of his best friend Chris.
“Chris was everyone’s best mate,” Sebastian tells AWO, “He lived a life that revolved around the things he loved; friends, family and fun. His passing, at age 24, was unexpected and tragic . . . I was overseas at the time and unable to make it back for his funeral but his death sparked a moment of clarity for me in which I asked myself if I was happy with my life. My answer was no.”
As a result, Sebastian began to write a list of all the things he’d ever wanted to do. His Bucket List was born.
Many of us fill our bucket lists with relatively ‘safe’, achievable luxuries or meaningful achievements. Sebastian certainly did this – and more. Here is a taste of some of his humble entries:
4. Raise $100,000 for Camp Quality
12. Visit a Death Row Inmate
18. Get a hole in one
23. Deliver a baby
38. Be in a Hollywood movie
42. Cycle through Cuba
58. Skydive naked
67. Live on a desert island for one week
68. Invent something
84. Face an over from Shane Warne
98. Crash a red carpet
100. Publish a book
Oh – and deliver a baby, walk across France, cycle through Cuba. Just the little things.
When asked about the more bizarre items on his list, and where they came from, Sebastian says he asked himself one simple question.
“If I was going to die tomorrow, would I be happy with my life? Initially answering no, I began to write down all the things I believed would change this answer. Obscure items such as delivering a baby sit next to emotional items such as visiting an inmate on death row . . . the list is comprised of items that test me on a whole array of levels.”
So far, Sebastian has ticked off 53 of the items on his list, and the recent release of his book tells, in biographical form, how he’s come to complete these tasks so far. After buying a one-way ticket to America for the sole purpose of meeting a death row inmate he’d been writing to for 12 months, his trip began unfolding in the most miraculous of ways.
“There was never a plan and there still isn’t. Armed only with an open and positive attitude, I’d somehow meet the right person to chat to about an item or receive an email from someone inviting me to tick an item from the list (I delivered the baby of a lady named Carmen after she saw me on a TV interview in Canada!). The list itself is really only the tip of the iceberg in relation to the journey and my book talks about this a lot.”
Many of the items on his list are clearly heart-thumping, but Sebastian says his heart never beat as fast as when he crashed the red-carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. He was also understandably terrified moments before being shot by a .44 revolver outside Bogota. Delivering a baby was something that left him with a unique sense of horror but Sebastian also says it was one of the most beautiful experiences he’s ever witnessed.
Sebastian believes everyone has a bucket list, whether it’s written down on a piece of paper or committed to memory.
“I believe there is nothing more important in life than achieving the things considered important to you, and so a list provides the first step in achieving these goals; recognising your dreams. This is often the hardest step in achieving a goal and so for me, I see a list as crucial.”
Ticking off items on the list is also important. Every time he ticked something off, Sebastian says he was filled with a sense of achievement rivaled by little else.
“What I’ve found is that by ticking off more and more items, not only does the journey lead in some way to a greater sense of fulfillment but an ability to see things that you never could before. I’ve realised that my journey is no longer just about me and my list; it’s now more focused on helping others realise their dreams and this is something I am now trying to actualise.”
When asked which of his bucket list items was most fulfilling, Sebastian says this is akin to asking a parent to pick their favourite child.
“All the items leave me in a state of fulfillment,” he says. “The important thing is not the item itself but the idea of achieving a goal you have identified as important to you.”
Now trying to grow a community of like minded go-getters who will be able to help each other complete their Bucket List items, Sebastian is powering towards even great heights, ultimately spreading a vital message to our possession-obsessed culture that life is meant to be seized, embraced and lived.
Creating a Bucket List is as unique as the person who writes it, and Sebastian is keen to encourage list writing – and ticking – as much as he can.
“Everyone’s list is different and to see such variety is just amazing,” says Sebastian.
So. What’s on your bucket list? If it’s to hook up with Sebastian Terry, you’ll have to rethink it. . . he’s no longer single. Sorry, girls.
You Can Buy This Book Online at these retailers
- Dymocks.com.au $34.99 paperback
- Angus & Robertson Bookworld $28.34 paperback
- Booktopia.com.au
- Kobo.com $10.99 ebook
- TheNile.com.au $29.49 paperback