Self Evaluation

Doing a little googling, I came across a rather interesting website (marcandangel) with 50 questions that are worth answering.

Having read through the questions, i found them rather intriguing, so i decided to copy, paste and fill in the questions on my blog. 

They really do get your brain thinking about life.

These questions have no right or wrong answers.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? Mentally, i would say 30 because i consider myself to be at a stage where i know what i want from life. Physically, i would say 35 - 40 - i have a few grey hairs! 
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Definitely never trying - How would you know if you can't do something unless you try.
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? Because we don't have the luxury of doing things we always like doing, life isn't intended to be easy, it is full of challenges - How else would we learn? 
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Probably, most people will have too. We all say we are going to do something but never get around to doing them.
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? Selfishness. If the world wasn't so selfish, then world peace could be possible - many things stem from selfishness - Greediness, Power, Authority - people fight to be 'better' than others, it therefore perpetuates the cycle of selfishness.
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Helping others who cannot help themselves. There is no better feeling and rush than you get than someone smiling at you because you helped them.
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? I am settling for what i am doing. My illness prevents me from doing what i believe in, but i have hopes that one day it will all change.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I would find more fulfilling things to fill my time, i would help others and go travelling and see the world.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? I am a big believer in Destiny. Life is a series of events that cannot be controlled, if you are destined for something, it will happen one way or another. I have some control over my life, but the bigger things come along when you least expect it.
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? A balance of both really, however, I always live within the bounds of the Law and doing the right thing every time is what bothers me more.
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? Walk away. People that are unkind to others are not worth knowing, because one day, it is inevitable that they will turn on you.
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Live life how you want to, not how others want you to.
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Absolutely, Love is unconditional. 
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? That is a tough one, i would say yes, not in a major way, but when i have written a frantic letter thinking it is full of rubbish, i read it back when i have calmed down and think 'Wow, that is actually quite good'.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? Everything. I try to be different. I'm not one to follow trends immediately, i prefer to be individual, unique in some respects. Being a sheep isn't what makes you stand out, being yourself earns you more respect.
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Because everyone is different. Personalities differ. Hobbies differ. If everyone was the same, the world would be a boring place.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back? I really want to go travelling. See the world. Experience different lifestyles, cultures and places. My illness is holding me back from doing this.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Yes. There is one thing i spoke out about many years ago, but it hasn't been spoken about since. It's about finding the right person to discuss it with though.
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? There are many contenders here, but i would have to say Australia, simply because of how vast it is, you could spend a whole lifetime exploring Australia and still not see everything.
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? I avoid lift's. But in the past i have used them, it is strange how out of frustration you continually push the button, but you know it won't come sooner.
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? A worried genius. You need to be smart to get by in today's society, now if it was 100 years ago and i was asked then, i would select joyful simpleton, simply because of the lifestyle today.
22. Why are you, you? Because i am. There is no answer that can define who i am. I was born, I was taught values, love and kindness and that moulds the person you become, then as an adult you learn things from a new perspective that teaches you how to be who you are. 
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? I like to think so, no one is perfect, everyone has flaws.
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch with a friend who lives right near you. At least when your friend moves away, distance is a reason for not staying in touch, but when a friend lives near you, there is no justified reason - except growing apart - why you cannot stay in touch.
25. What are you most grateful for? My family. 
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? I would rather lose my old memories. My life does have a few good memories, but there are alot more bad ones, so being able to start fresh would be lovely.
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Of course, it's how you look at things, if you can accept the truth instantly, then it's not a challenge, but if you are sceptical, it becomes a challenge.
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? I have many fears, equally great and yes, some of them have come true.
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now? Not really, I don't have many memories from then. 
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special? My happiest memory was when I was 8 and on holiday, we celebrated my birthday altogether as a family in the hotel and the manager went to the effort of making me a beautiful birthday cake.
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? I was 17 and had been through a really tough time, then I met a lovely man.
32. If not now, then when? That is a tough question to answer, too many variables.
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Theoretically, nothing. This question could come under the section of failing or never trying.  
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Many times. Sometimes just being with someone makes you feel fantastic.
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Because there is a fine line between love and hate. Just look at Siblings - they constantly argue and fight, but if one of them was in trouble, the other sibling would be there. With religions at war, it's a similar situation - it's about who is the best at worshipping and why one is better than the other.
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Never. There are some situations that can be split between good and evil before they occur. But there are many that creep up and cannot be seen until the good/evil happens and it's already done. 
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Theoretically, if i was working, then no i wouldn't. Why? Because that million dollars will not last forever.
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work that i enjoy doing. For the simple reason that to get pleasure from life, you need to do things you enjoy doing.
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Yes, it's called routine. 
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? When I considered setting up my own business, i still believe in the idea.
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My family and a few close friends, also the graves of lost family.
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No. Why would anyone do that, if they won't live long enough to reap the rewards from it? 
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Being alive is just existing. Truly living is about experiencing everything possible within a lifetime, dying happy and fulfilled.
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? When the opportunity comes along and not letting it pass by with regrets. 
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Because the next mistake may not be rectifiable and make a significant difference to life as we know it.
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? Walk onto a beach in a bikini - or even go to a nudist beach.
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? Quite often actually, when i relax or prepare for something i do deep breathing exercises.
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? My family - they are everything. A simple phone call or seeing them and i feel their love.
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that? Doubtful, if i did, i think i would have to seriously question where my life is going.
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? At the end of the day, i always make decisions for myself, i do take on board the advice of others when the decision is big, but you always have to decide for yourself or regret sets in.

I hope you find this interesting - Try answering the questions for yourself too, it isn't easy, is it?