As part of “My 101 Things to do in 1001 Days” Challenge, I added the task to answer “50 questions which will free your mind.” These questions really make me stop to think. I encourage you to answer these questions.
You may remember that I started answering these questions a few months ago. I am answering five questions a month. I answered the first five on June 10th, and the next five questions on July 8th. On August 5th, I answered questions 11-15. On September 2nd, I answered 16-20. Last month, on October 7th, I answered 21-25.
Here are my answers to questions 26-30.
- How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
- Which is worse, failing or never trying?
- If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
- When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
- What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
- If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
- Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
- If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
- To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
- Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
- You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
- If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
- Would you break the law to save a loved one?
- Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
- What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
- How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
- What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
- Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
- If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
- Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
- Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
- Why are you, you?
- Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
- Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
- What are you most grateful for?
- Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
This one is hard! I don’t want to lose all my old memories because of the memories I have of friends who have passed away or of special moments that I would never want to forget. On the other hand, I would hate to never be able to make new memories. But I think I would choose the later. I think I would write down in a journal all of the memories from that day and then I could go back and read about those “new memories”, almost like Drew Barrymore’s character, Lucy, did in 50 First Dates. - Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
Does anyone ever really know the truth about anything or anyone? I’m not Mulder or Scully, so knowing the truth without challenging it would be kind of difficult. I think “the truth” is different for everyone, and knowing the truth based on one person’s perception of what the truth is, without challenging it first, makes us, as a society, a little naïve. Question everything and discover the truth for yourself. - Has your greatest fear ever come true?
No, because my greatest fear is death and the unknown, and as of right now, I’m still alive and trying to truly live! - Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
No. Sometimes in life, we just have to learn to let it go and move on. - What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
Spending time with my grandparents. Now that all four of my grandparents have passed away, all I have are the memories and the photos I took of them and with them. There are stories I could tell of time I spent with each one of my grandparents… fishing with grandpa Lashlee, playing softball with grandma Lashlee, learning to sew with grandma Howard, and being called “Angel” by my grandpa Howard. Those memories are priceless and special. - At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
- If not now, then when?
- If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
- Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
- Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
- Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
- If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
- Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
- Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
- When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
- If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
- Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
- What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
- When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
- If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
- What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
- When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
- What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
- In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
- Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
Yours Truly,
Vanessa
