Since this is only the second posting that I've written on this blog, I figured it would be nice to put up some questions so that we can get to know each other better. I know these are deeper questions, but that's the point... To get past the surface, to think about what the questions actually mean, and to answer them openly in order to start forming connections. You could even ask your friends and family these questions and then possibly find out something you never knew about them!
Please answer as many of these as you'd like in the comments section, and I'll post my favorites sometime soon. Check out my answers below!
1. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
2. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
3. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
4. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
My answers:
1. If I knew that nobody would judge me, I would run away to another country and roam around the world for years on end. It's hard to do this type of thing because most Americans would consider it irresponsible that one doesn't have a "normal job" and isn't working towards a steady salary. It is expected that everyone goes through all of the life stages in America of college, working up through your career ladder, having children, owning the huge home with the white picket fence, spending money above your means, retiring, and then only going to travel the world and have fun once you are too old to enjoy it as much. I don't want this... I want to travel and taste all of the wild experiences of life now.
2. If happiness was the national currency, any work involving the arts or sustainable living would make me incredibly rich! I heard somewhere that to figure out one's passion in life/what one should pursue to get the ultimate happiness out of a job, all you have to do is realize what you choose to do with the majority of your leisure time. Whatever you love doing for free is obviously what you would enjoy doing for a job as well. Taking that into consideration, I absolutely adore anything involving the arts... Dancing, painting, acting, music, drawing, crafting, interior design, writing... I could go on and on. The other area that I devote large amounts of my free time to is health and sustainable living. I take classes on renewable energy, spend Saturdays buying organic food at my local farmer's market, go on study abroad programs to learn about conservation and the environment in Costa Rica, and read books on things like organic gardening and Ayurveda. I guess all I need to do now is figure out a way to turn these interests into future job opportunities for once I graduate next year....
3. If I had to move to a different country right now I would want to go to India. The are just so many reasons for this. I'm an anthropology major in college, so I've been learning all about India this past year in my courses like "Bollywood Anthropology" and "Cultures of South Asia." They have given me such deep cultural knowledge on subjects such as Indian history, Indian customs, and Hinduism. I believe that India is the most vibrant and colorful country, and it is filled with so much diversity that it is impossible to define. I love how it's a very spiritual place, where religious customs permeate through everything; it is incredibly interesting. The best part about India is how there is a richness in the arts- Bollywood cinema and Punjabi folk dances are just a couple of Indian arts that I enjoy watching the most. You should check them out!
4. The question,
what is the difference between being alive and truly living, is basically what I'm trying to figure out for myself and then act out in my daily life.
It is the question that this blog is trying to answer! I feel like many people (including myself for the past few months) go about their day in a robotic way, and it turns out that every day is pretty much like all of the others before it. I've come to understand that this is no way to live... If one keeps doing this then you'll wake up one day 10 years from now and realize that a whole decade of life has been wasted.
To feel truly alive, I believe that one must: be present, cultivate gratitude, enjoy the simple things in life, deeply connect with others, and push oneself to try new things. All of these actions make me feel alive in the truest sense, not like I am living on autopilot.
There you have it! Let me know what you think, and please don't forget to answer these questions for me in the comments section. I'll post up some of my favorites!
Pura Vida,
Caylee
