When the bull dives forward, you lean back. When the bull tips up in the front, you shift your weight the opposite way.

Don't think your dominant hand is strong enough to keep you in the saddle; you have to hold on with your leg muscles.

And, for heaven's sake, keep your upper body relaxed.

Those are just a few tips from the Internet on how to stay aboard a mechanical bull, if you decide to take the advice Grammy Award-winning country singer Tim McGraw expresses in the song Live Like You Were Dying.

But McGraw's message isn't really about the bull. It's about living the rest of your – decades? years? Four weeks until the Mayan calendar ends on Dec. 21? – with gusto and grace, taking the time to be kind to people and to explore the world around you.

Still, if you would like to attempt your own version of the accomplishments mentioned in the song, you don't even have to leave Northeastern Pennsylvania.

I went skydiving. I went Rocky Mountain climbing. I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu …

Skydiving? Sure. Above the Poconos skydiving school operates out of the Hazleton Municipal Airport, offering first-time divers same-day training and a tandem jump (which means you're strapped to and share a parachute with an instructor).

A plane will take you 10,000 feet up, and, after your 30-second freefall, you can spend at least five minutes serenely admiring the scenery as you gently approach the ground.

That was awesome, a twenty-something woman named Sara told The Times Leader after a jump her friend had cajoled her to take. Her friend Erin, meanwhile, finished her own jump vowing Never again.

Skydiving isn't for everyone, but if you think you'd fall into the that-was-awesome category, check out pasky.com, where you'll read about a discount taking place through Dec. 1.

Rocky Mountain climbing. OK, we admit we are far from the Rocky Mountains. But local mountains do offer challenging hikes with beautiful views. You might want to try, for example, the Glen Onoko Falls Trail, which overlooks Lehigh Gorge State Park in Carbon County

Right in the beginning, for about three-quarters of a mile, is the steepest part, Susquehanna Trailers Hiking Club president Rich McNulty said. After that, it's not too bad.

Your reward is a view from the lookout, which McNulty simply described as the best.

You can hike Glen Onoko by yourself, or join the Susquehanna Trailers on Dec. 9 for an 8.5-mile group excursion that includes a picnic lunch at the lookout.

During the four-hour expedition you'll likely see a few remnants of a resort that burned decades ago, and you can ponder the legend of an American Indian maiden named Onoko who, it is said, leapt to her death from the waterfall that bears her name.

The reason? Reportedly, her father the chief did not approve of the man she loved.

Speaking of love, Live Like You Were Dying mentions loving more deeply as a goal, along with speaking more sweetly, forgiving others, reading the Good Book, watching an eagle fly and of course, the bull-riding

If you want to ride a bull, we suggest you mosey along to your favorite country-themed saloon to find a mechanical one – and be careful.

To spot an eagle, keep your eyes peeled by the Susquehanna River in the Harding area as well as near downtown Pittston. At eagleinfo.com, bird fanciers recently reported seeing them along Interstate 81 in the Mountain Top area, near mile-marker 91 of PA 476 north, in a cornfield near Exton, and in many other places.

To be able to say you loved deeper and spoke sweeter, as McGraw sings, just follow your heart.

As for the Good Book, you can read the Bible on your own or attend a Bible study at many area churches. For some theological delving specifically into the Book of Revelation and the end times, you might want to join in a Wine & Spirit discussion titled The End of the World as We Know It? Closing Time & Catholicism. It's part of an ongoing drinks-and-discussion series for adults sponsored by St. Andre Bessette Parish in Wilkes-Barre and is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Costello's Restaurant in Edwardsville. Cost is $5 to cover an appetizer buffet (with a cash bar), and the event is open to the public. Facilitator/speaker is Will T. Cohen, Ph.D., an assistant professor of systematic theology at the University of Scranton. Call 823-4988 for reservations.