Friday, July 30, 2010

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind, Part 1

Right now, I'm in Orlando! It's Friday so I'm hopefully still sleeping when this posts and gearing up for a day at Disney World! Be jealous.

A while back, Ashley linked to this survey on her Life List and it looked like a really interesting survey to take, with questions that were different and introspective. So, here you go, my first 5 questions on this list answered:

1. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?

I would never put my age at 22, or older. I think many bloggers would easily be able to say they act a lot older than their age indicates, but it's not so for me. I would pinpoint my age around 19-20, with the fact that I'm still in school, still live with my mom, have a part-time job where I'm only responsible to pay our phone bill + gas when needed, and have seemingly no responsibility for important issues.

I'm not saying I'm not responsible or mature, and I do think there are certain areas of my life where I do act way above my age. It also doesn't help that I'm constantly mistaken as a high-schooler. But there are some areas of my life that I think I could take a bigger step to fixing and proving myself to be the 22-year-old that I am.

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

I think they both are pretty bad. With both instances, you're left with regrets. You're left with what if's. Failing makes you feel like a loser and never trying makes you feel lazy. I will say that the horrible feeling I get in the pit of my stomach from not trying is way worse than the pit I get when I fail. When you fail at something, you learn. You grow. You move on, knowing you won't make that same mistake again. (Hopefully.) But when you live a life of never trying new things and experiences, you can't learn or grow. You become stuck on a stagnant path of nothingness. It's a terribly feeling I know all too well.

3. 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?

I'm having a hard time with this question. I've typed and deleted an answer about 5 times, because it's a hard one to answer. On the one hand, it's just life. Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to do, like work commitments and spending time with your in-laws. Sometimes, money issues and fears get in the way of things we like but don't do, such as traveling. On the other hand, I think it's because we become comfortable in our shallow worlds where we sit in our bubble of containment, not venturing out to make a difference because we're afraid of what will happen. We're afraid we'll grow and change and become a person with a whole new set of goals and ideals.

4. When it's all said and done, will you have said more than you've done?

I think that's natural. There is so much I want to do, so much I want to see. At 22, I feel like my future is wide open. I feel like I have so much time to do everything and it fills me with such excitement. There are some Big Life Events that I want to happen (such as getting married, becoming a mother, and graduating college) and then there are life experiences that I want to enjoy (such as traveling, getting published, running a half-marathon). I don't think I've ever sit down and come up with a Life List, which is something I should do.

At the end of my life, I hope I can say I lived a fulfilled life, where I touched people. I want to be surrounded by loved ones and know I was happy with myself.

5. What is the one thing you'd most like to change about the world?

Judgment. I would like the world to have less judgment. I think we too quickly judge others by outward appearances too easily. I know I do it. If I kept a tally of how many people I judged in one day, I would be a little embarrassed by the number. I see it all the time at work, with people judging how others dress and take care of their children - even that they have "too many" kids. I see it on TV and magazines and blogs. I know change has to start within. It has to start with me. If I started judging less, maybe it would spark others around me to start judging less. Food for thought, at least.

12 comments:

  1. This is a really great idea for a post. I think never trying is INFINITELY worse than failing because there'll always be regret, and I am so with you, every "failure" is a learning experience and opportunity for growth. And I would definitely change judgment as well.

    Hope you're having an amazing time right now!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fun questions! I like #4 because I really pride myself on following through on what i say I want to do. I hate it when people are all 'talk' and no action.

    Hope you are having a fabulous time on your vacation!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Re #1: I'm almost 30 (GASP!) and I remembering thinking 30 was so old but honestly, I still feel the same as I did when I was 23. The only main difference is having to make more grown up decisions.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with you on the judgment part! and everything else basically :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with you 100000% on number 5!

    ReplyDelete
  6. People also tend to think that I'm still in high school, and when I was in high school people thought I was in middle school. And I'm not talking I was a freshman and someone thought that. I'm talking, I was graduating in about four months - one more semester to go - and someone thought that. And a guy at my mom's work thought I was a freshman in college - I'll be a junior. It's crazy. However, I have learned to be okay with it because I take this as a good omen as we will look younger than our age as we, well, age.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is AMAZING. I think I'm going to do these questions right along with you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awesome questions and answers! I think you answered them really well; I agree that there are a lot of things that we have to do in life in order to be able to live, even if we don't like them, you know? It's rather unfortunate but i believe it's the way society has created our lives to an extent.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I completely agree with you on #5. I always try not to judge others by their past, appearance.. etc. Like the saying goes, "never judge a book by its movie."

    Hope you're having fun around my neck of the woods. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love all your answers, and really, couldn't agree more! I checked out that list, and the questions look so interesting. Maybe I'll join in, too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a fabulous idea (can I steal it?) and such great answers.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I may have to do this :)

    "On the other hand, I think it's because we become comfortable in our shallow worlds where we sit in our bubble of containment, not venturing out to make a difference because we're afraid of what will happen. We're afraid we'll grow and change and become a person with a whole new set of goals and ideals."

    ^
    Well said :)

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me all giddy with excitement.

 
Design by Designer Blogs