50 Questions to Free Your Mind, Question #8

If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I’m not sure I’d be in college right now. I don’t think I’d want to spend over half my life in school. Obviously, my life span could still be 40 years or less, and I’m actually going to end up spending about a third of my life in school, but still. I would probably rather spend most of my time with my family. That brings me to my next point, I would probably have at least one baby by now and be married. Other than that, probably not much would be different…

50 Questions to Free Your Mind, Question #7

05. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

This is a tough one for me. If we talking about a career, then I’m doing a little of both. If I were a male, I would be getting ready to start medical school, but because I want a family before I’m almost too old to have one, I’m in nursing school. I'm not saying it's not possible to have a family and be a female doctor, but it's just not what I felt was right for me. My ultimate goal of being a nurse practitioner is similar to being a doctor, and I’m getting the best of both worlds. So either way, I’m helping people.

Religiously, I have a long way to go. What I believe and what I do are two different things. I really don’t have an excuse either.... .

50 Questions to Free Your Mind, Question #6

If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

If I could do anything for this "happiness" currency, I would read, eat (lol), sleep, and just be with my family and boyfriend. The things I like are pretty simple. I would also do "projects". I love doing crafts, experiments, and cooking with Bella or just by myself. I would have to use my happiness "money" to buy my supplies to do more projects.

If I had to actually pick an actual job, I'd probably still do something to serve others. I really think I'd like to be a nurse practitioner, or maybe some sort of counselor. I love psychology. Or maybe I'd be a professional student...

Want to read this!

50 Questions that will Free Your Mind, Question #5

What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

The one thing I think I’d like to change about the world is the amount of hatred spread daily. Yes, "world peace" is the quintessential cause of beauty queens everywhere, but I'm not just talking on a large scale. Oh course, I would love to see no wars, peace in Darfur, and for all the American troops to come home, but I also want to see less hatred at home.

For instance, I would like to see the Westboro Baptist Church help others rather than condemn them. This "church" protests military funerals, other churches, and even the Billy Graham library. Their website is named "God Hates Fags". They have other websites like "God Hates the World" and "Priests Rape Boys". Also, they don't care what you think. Direct quote: "0 - nanoseconds of sleep that WBC members lose over your opinions and feeeeellllliiiiiings." It makes me feel physically sick to look at their website.

I don't think we have to agree on everything. I just want to see a little more tolerance. What has hatred ever accomplished?

50 Questions to Free Your Mind #4

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Unfortunately, yes. I am a thinker and a planner. I’m not even sure if it’s possible to accomplish everything I want to do. I have big goals that I am likely to accomplish. I want to own a home, be married, have two kids, and earn my masters and doctorate in nursing. These are things I’m willing to go to great lengths to achieve.

There are, however, other goals I would love to accomplish, but they may never happen. I want to own my own doctor’s office where I would be the nurse practitioner, and have a clinic for patients without sufficient funds at least once a month. I want to own a boat, maybe adopt a child, and be fluent in Spanish. I would also love to write a book.

I could seriously write an entire other dayzeroproject list with my actual “bucket list” items.

50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind: Question #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?

This is a two part question.

Part 1: Why do we do so many things we don’t like?

People hate a ton of necessary things like work, school, or paying bills, but it is important to do these things, so you can do the things you like. Some things are necessary for survival.

Other things, however, I think we do because of our society's standards. We are expected to act a certain way, and the majority of us choose to act in accordance with that. Some of these standards are good and others are pointless or even harmful.

I like the way Tyler Durden from Fight Club (I just broke the first rule) put it: “An entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables – slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy s**t we don't need.”

Part 2: Why don’t we do the things we like?

One of the biggest reasons, I can see is affordability. I would love to go ziplining in the Amazon or mark off some of the places to visit or things to do on my 101 list, but unfortunately I don’t have the money to do it all at one time. I think the 101 list is step in the right direction though.

Other reasons are fear-fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of what other people will think, and plain, ole laziness.

What do you think?

50 Questions to Free Your Mind, Question 2

Question #2: Which is worse, failing or never trying? Okay, this one is just obvious. Anyone will tell you that it is better to try and fail than to "fail to try". The first thing that comes to mind is:

Unfortunately, I can't find the original maker of this. I found it here.

And now for the sake of fun here is a list of things it is better to not try than to fail at...

• Bungie jumping
  
• Throwing a knife at an apple above someone's head
  
• Anything that begins with, "hold my beer and watch this"
  
• Flying lessons
  
• Breaking a board with your hand
  
• Russian roulette
  
• Stage diving
  
• Zipping a dress three sizes too small
  
• The Hunger Games.
  

Fail Blog

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

Question 1: How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

One of my goals is to answer the 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind. First off, this question just confuses my mind. I've seen the response that you are your chronological age regardless of whether you know it or not, but that's boring and a bit condescending. So what age do I want to be?

I had a good childhood. I was spoiled, I was loved, and I had fun, but it was also a lonely time for me. I gained a lot of weight in elementary school, matured way too early, was made fun of, and was bored in my classes. I felt different than the other kids and for a elementary schooler or a middle schooler being different is a terrible thing.

By the time I reached high school, I had found a group of friends in the honors circle. I still felt different, but I was coming into my own skin. My friends were different too, and being bored in my classes translated into graduating as the Salutatorian of my class. However, high school came with its own challenges. I heard rumors about myself, took some teasing, and I'm ashamed to say, I did my fair share of it as well. I was always so defensive in high school, and I was unfair to people because of it. I also spent the first three years dating someone completely wrong for me. All in all, I enjoyed high school, but that doesn't keep me from having nightmares about going back.

So what about now, my college years? I can honestly say I am happier than I've ever been. Tree is the man of my very realistic dreams, lol. I have a guy who just let me cry it out when B. had her first seizure and who sat with me and ordered me a PB&J on a cruise when I was so very seasick instead of going to dinner. Out of everything, those two very simple things mean so much to me. I also have two beautiful nieces who bring the color into my world. I love college! It's the first really stimulating school experience I've ever had.

I can't say my college years have been perfect though. My grandma passed away, B. battled (and won) against epilepsy, and I had my own share of health issues, but I've made it through all of that for the most part...

And I'm so excited for the future! So, if I could be any age, I'd still be 21. I'd have all of the above experiences behind me, I'd be right smack in the middle of a great point in my life, and I'd have so much ahead of me. Right now sounds just about fantastic.