#11. 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind

This one is on my 101 in 1001 list, and I'm finally knocking it out. Here goes nothing!

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? I would definitely be older than I am now. I've always acted older, which is sometimes kind of lame. I'd probably say late 20s or early 30s (everyone at work already thinks I'm that age!)
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Definitely never trying. Always try for things. Always shoot for the moon - even if you miss, you land among the stars.
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? It's a means to the ends. Being a productive member of society is necessary for society to function. Like it or not, there are things we just have to do. The key, I think, is not getting caught up in those things.
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Probably. I'm a talker ;) I have great ideas and inspirational words, but I'm lazy as hell. I try to make up for that, but it doesn't always work.
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? I wish I could end bigotry. I wish I could end people judging others for illnesses, skin colors, abilities, political beliefs and religions.
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Any sort of job where I'm helping people. In fact, I love my job right now. I think the other other job I could like more is owning a bakery (without the threat of failure). And I'd love to have a bakery with young people working, where profits could be donated.
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? A little of both. I don't believe my job is settling in any way, but it's not a job I'd ever see myself in. A lot of people don't see my job as necessary or helping people, but I'm helping goods get across the country - and helping people move. It's a great job.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I would have gotten married earlier, and I would have had kids sooner. It's something I definitely don't want to miss out on. Sean and I wanted to get married years before we did, but it was important to us to finish school first. We don't regret it at all. But, if I knew I was going to die in 16 years, yeah, I'd totally change my views on that. I'd also go on more mission trips - so much more fulfilling than regular vacays.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? I think it's been pretty well controlled. I chose my school and to marry Sean. I think the hardest thing for me was giving up control when Sean got into law school.
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Honestly? Doing things right. But at the same time, 95% of the time, those are the right things.
11. 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? I definitely defend people. Especially my friends. And my friends know how stubborn I can get when I'm defending something/someone I believe in.
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Find something to believe in, and believe in it always.
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Absolutely.
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? Yes. A lot of people I thought were absolutely crazy in high school, but they are some of the most creative people I know now.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? Say windmill :D I do a lot of things differently - we have a weird family closeness, we celebrate birthdays weird (seriously, we call you a horse's ass), I'm a lefty - the list goes on.
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? A lot of the things that make me happy are simple...I think a lot of people have come to rely on materialistic things or things you have to spend ridiculous amounts of money on to be happy. Plus, I get more happiness out of things I work for - not everyone is like that.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back? Skydive. The ONLY thing that's holding back is the cost. And trust me, it's in the works.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? I've been trying really hard to let go of the idea that when Sean graduates he'll get a job in St. Louis and we'll move back, find a perfect house in South County, I'll be transferred, and have lotsa babies. Bad self. You know life doesn't ever work out like that.
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? Texas or Florida. We have family in both states, and I hate the cold. Plus, who can say no to the beach?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? I rarely do actually, because I don't think it makes it go any faster. I will push the door close button though :)
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? Oh that's a tough one. I think I'd rather be a joyful simpleton - the happy things make life what it is, not your intelligence.
22. Why are you, you? Because I am.
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? Most of the time, yes I think so. The only thing I don't agree with is that I tend to lose touch with people. I wish I didn't, and I'm trying to work into not doing that - but I'm having a hard time. But I'm working on it!
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? A good friend moving away. I think losing touch with friends is natural - people grow and change. But losing someone you're still close to? Bummer.
25. What are you most grateful for? My family. I have an incredible family - they're ridiculous, but I love them. I know they'll help with anything we ever need, and I'm so grateful I was given such an awesome set of relatives.
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? I'd rather never be able to make new ones. My old memories are things I can never get back - memories of grandparents and friends gone, memories of simpler times, and memories that make me who I am. I think there would be a great void in my life without my old memories.
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? No. Everyone should question the truth and really search for it. Forgetting how to question things causes us to stop learning, and to stop knowing. After all, how can one explain and defend the truth without first challenging it themselves?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? No.
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now? Yes, I remember. And while it wasn't quite 5 years ago that it happens, I'm still upset about it. It still affects me, and so yes, it does still matter. It definitely affected my opinion and my relationship with the people involved too (at least for a while it did).
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special? Making cookies with my grandma. I lost her when I was 8, and while I can't remember much, I still have a perfect memory of rolling cookies in powdered sugar.
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? You know, it's happening pretty often lately. When the surge of customers hits me at 7 am, I feel passionate about my job. At a wedding, I feel passionate about the choice I've made to be with Sean and how we're doing. But it was probably our time in Europe that hit me the most - how fortunate we are to experience that, how awesome it was that we traveled spur of the moment to places, how well we did in foreign countries, how miraculous it was to see things that have existed for thousands of years, and how beautiful everything in the world truly is.
32. If not now, then when? When the time is right.
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? The opportunity.
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Absolutely. It's amazing how a few minutes of being with someone that you don't see often can seem like an eternity.
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? I think it's a sense of pride. Pride that everyone's religion is better than any other.
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Nope. What may seem evil to one person, could be saving and good for another. You can't judge someone - you don't know the path he/she has walked.
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Nope. I love my job. I love how it makes me feel - I love the people I work with. I have no intention of ever EVER leaving it. Plus, if I won a million dollars, I wouldn't tell anyone but Sean. ;)
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work I enjoy. Like I said above, I love my job. Plus, being bored drives me crazy.
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Nope. I think every day is new and interesting. It's a gift.
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? When we moved to KC. We moved here blind - no jobs, no apartment - nothing. We moved with the idea that God will provide, and that we're motivated enough to make things work. And we were!
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My besties. Seriously. Life only works because I have a deadline on when I'll see them next.
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No. I don't think so anyway. Though I might agree to it if it meant that things always worked out perfectly and that we could live comfortably.
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Someone who is truly living is vibrant and has a reason to be alive. They have a spirit.
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? When your head starts to hurt from doing the math. Just go for it!
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Cause then we have to learn!! ;) Kidding! Our society definitely puts an emphasis on being perfect, and mistakes aren't perfect. 
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? Honestly? A lot of things. I'd move somewhere new. I'd paint my house green. I'd probably be lazy about recycling.
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? Probably in youth group from high school - we spent a lot of time quietly meditating/praying. 
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? I love life - everything about it. I'm trying my hardest to appreciate it - stop and think for a bit, getting healthy to live longer, putting my phone down, and really enjoying my moments.
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that? Well, Facebook and Twitter will. ;) I won't remember the daily things, no doubt. But I'm sure I'll remember the milestones. That's why I blog, facebook, twitter, and instagram.
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? A little of both. I can't make every decision for my life - things like my boss dictate that. But I am making decisions to the be the best person I can be in order to get to where I ultimately want to be. You can't decide fate. But, you can put yourself in the best possible position for things. You can make yourself the best person you can be. You can change yourself.