The 7 Questions That Tell You Who You Are

I like the 7 questions posed on this Thought Catalogue article titled The 7 Questions That Tell You Who You Are. I know my answers to these questions may have been different a year ago, and may be different a year from now. That doesn’t mean that answering these questions isn’t a good exercise. It’s all part of a process…

1. What would you do with your life if you didn’t have to pay the bills?

I would make and entertain friends. I would host travelers at my house. I would create experiences where people feel comfortable expressing themselves. I would dance, like all the time. I would let my friends stay at my house for free. I would cook lots, and invite friends over for dinner all the time. I would read & write more. I would help friends achieve their dreams.

2. What cuts you the deepest?

Realizing I’ve hurt someone. Whether the reason be miscommunication or carelessness, there’s nothing that bothers me more than finding out after the fact that I’ve hurt someone. It’s impossible please everyone all the time, but I’d like to make sure I know if I’m hurting someone. They often won’t tell you, so you kind of have to keep an eye out remembering that it’s a possibility.

3. If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?

I would spend all day writing down the best things about all the people I know. The kind of things you only remember to bring up drunk, late-night on a stoop having a heart-to-heart – I would write all of them down, for all the people I could think of.

4. Who do you love and why do you love them?

I love the people who love me. The people I can share silence with. The people that don’t question why I’m inviting them to grab a lunch or dinner. The people I would run errands with. The people that keep me from feeling lonely, and the people I can help keep from feeling lonely.

5. What do you quote?

Quotes about being true to yourself, about how everyone deserves happiness, on the work it takes to achieve happiness, and reminders on why it’s okay not to be happy all the time. Why? Because I want everyone to always be working towards happiness, without stressing about whether or not they’re good at it.

6. In those rare life-changing moments, how do you act?

I close my eyes, do a gut check, and dive-in feet first. Not head first, in case the water’s shallow. But feet first, without checking my pockets – so sometimes, I’ll ruin my phone (metaphorically speaking). I make these mistakes because I need to jump quick before I convince myself to do otherwise. I’m instinctively risk-taking, but consciously risk-averse.

7. What do you think about most?

How to be happy. How to take what I learn and help others be happy. How I can help others achieve happiness by being an example – discovering and admiring things & people that make me happy, removing stress & worry, and smiling all the time.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Ghandi

The change I want to see in the world in which people are kind, happy, and grateful.