365 thought-provoking questions: Questions 69 - 90

69. What gives your life meaning?  I'm not really sure how to answer this. I try to find joy in the little things, and that's what keeps me going through rough days. 

70. Can there be happiness without sadness?  Pleasure without pain?  Peace without war?  No. Peace is defined as the absence of war, so you can't have peace without war. I suppose the other two might be able to exist without their counterpart, but they would not be fully appreciated. 


71. What’s the one thing you’d like others to remember about you at the end of your life?  I hope to be remembered as someone who was always positive and added value to others. 

72. Is there such a thing as perfect?  Yes, but it is unattainable. This question always reminds me of "This is not a pipe." An ideal exists, but it can never be reached. 


73. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?  I think I have had a decent amount of control over where I am now. There have been obstacles that have forced me to change my path, but I have always been the one making the final decision. Ultimately, I'm happy with where I am now, even if it's not where I planned to be. 

74. What does it mean to be human?  Obviously there is a biological component. Homo sapien and all that. We also have a high-level language and the ability to emote. 


75. If you looked into the heart of your enemy, what do you think you would find that is different from what is in your own heart?  Unfortunately there is one person that comes to mind when I hear that word. I like to think that I am less judgmental and less hateful than she is. Other than that, we are more similar than I care to admit. 

76. What do you love most about yourself?  Physically? My hair, definitely. As far as character, I love that I am always so (outwardly) positive. It makes my day when people are taken aback when I respond that my day is "awesome," or something similar. 


77. Where would you most like to go and why?  That's a tough one! There are so many places on my dream sheet. I would really like to go to Antarctica - I suppose just for the experience. I think that's going to be the coolest continent of the seven. As far as countries go, I am most looking forward to going back to Poland. Not only was it gorgeous, but I really enjoyed the people there as well. I am hoping to learn the language and go back in two years. 

78. Is it more important to do what you love or to love what you are doing?  To me, it is more important to do what I love. I have a huge list of goals I want to accomplish - things I love. It is also important to love what you are doing, but I feel that phrase is limiting. I might love what I am doing, but not necessarily be doing other things I love as well. 


79. What do you imagine yourself doing ten years from now?  I imagine I will just be starting a family, or have a young family. I will own a home in Austria. I will be successful and wealthy enough that I will not have to work with any regularity, and can do whatever I want!

80. What small act of kindness were you once shown that you will never forget?  The act of kindness that comes to mind immediately is being welcomed into Mike and Jacey's home. However, that's not small at all! So I would probably say being invited to Susan's home on Easter for dinner. That was a small act on Miranda's part - it really only involved a phone call - but it absolutely made my day. To me, it represented my friends standing behind me on a really difficult day - a holiday that I would have otherwise spent alone. Then the interactions I had with Miranda and Josh that evening really cemented how important they are to me. 


81. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?  When I was in elementary school, I did Renbukai. There was also a younger boy in our class named Jason. Jason's parents had access to a cabin on an island out of Homer, and our two families went out there for a weekend. The water taxi picked us up at the end of the weekend to take us back to shore, and I rode the entire hour or so at the bow, with the spray in my face. I think that is probably my happiest memory from growing up. 

82. Do you own your things or do your things own you?  If I would have been asked this question a year ago, my answer may have been different, but now I can confidently say that I own my things. I even have hesitated lately to acquire more things, since I would rather spend my money on experiences. 


83. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?  Wow. That's rough. I would probably rather lose all my old memories. At 23, I hope I have a long life ahead of me. I would rather lose my last 23 years of memories than never be able to form memories until I die. 

84. How do you deal with someone in a position of power who wants you to fail?  Perhaps I'm the wrong person to ask, since the last time I had to deal with this situation, I ended up being fired from my job. If I were to deal with this again, I would probably ask to be reassigned to a different project/shift/department/etc. and if that was not able to happen, I would look for work elsewhere. Life is too short to live any part of it miserable, or surrounded by miserable people. 


85. What do you have that you cannot live without?  Nothing. I rely on myself for my own happiness and not things or others. 

86. When you close your eyes what do you see?  Peace. Serenity. There's not a specific scene that pops into my head, but when I close my eyes, a wave of calm washes over me. Yoga must be making a difference! 


87. What sustains you on a daily basis?  I'm a pretty positive person. I don't know that I would say anything particularly sustains me (other than food, obviously), because I don't need anything to sustain me. 

88. What are your top five personal values?  Honesty, kindness, positivity, trustworthiness, and a strong work ethic. 


89. Why must you love someone enough to let them go?  Love cannot be selfish. If you do not love someone enough to let them go, then you don't love them. If them going is the best decision for them, you must allow that. If you hang on to them because you can't bear to let them go, then you are being selfish and that is not true love. 

90. Do you ever celebrate the green lights?  I do! Especially on days where I'm running late to school, I will celebrate them aloud in the car.