Complete the 50 Questions that will free your mind

If the average lifespan was 400 years, it seems there would be a few more choices. So perhaps if it was 40 years, choosing what to do next would be easier.
to be continued …

This one is easy. I’m mostly settling. Perhaps it looks different from the outside, but my wife/parents/some friends know.

At the same time, I am believing in settling, if no clear better alternatives are in sight. I wish I was more active trying to find them.

After reading it again, there’s another side of the coin. I might be somewhat settling in my professional life, but I’m trying to support my family in the best way I can. I chose not to pursue some opportunities, because they would require too much time. My kids seem to care more about amount of time I spend with them, and less about the quality. When my oldest one suddenly became a young adult, I regretted not spending enough time together.

I’ve been struggling with this question. It is hard to predict what will make you happy. Also our needs change in time.
(to be continued)

—Can’t I have my three wishes?—No.

... and suddenly he was enlightened: the one thing to change about the world was himself!
... but he didn’t like to change…

So, can he get from accepting that this is the one thing to change; from there to actually this being the one thing he’d like to change? Can I?

Done more. Didn’t say enough, so far.

It’s not that I don’t have anything to say, it’s I don’t push it hard enough on my audience. I let them take it, I’ll explain, but I won’t tell them you must/must not do it, and try to be really pushy about it. Seen many example of that at work—of people being too pushy and me not being pushy enough. But, hey, I have a good career, the time to learn new things, and professional recognition most people admire. Obviously I’m not Einstein or Copernicus, or Bill Gates, or Mitt Romney but managed to create a good life.

Same with friends, I tried once to tell a married couple not to buy a big house at top of a hill at height of the bubble. I said, I wouldn’t buy it in your situation, and here’s why … They did, lost the money and the house, and we are still friends.

The kids often don’t want to listen to me, but I have to say some things to them. So I try to make them as vivid and dramatic, and occasionally scary, as possible. Here’s an exception, I push my words on my kids.

Should there be a balance between saying and doing? Left leg and right leg? Or left hand and right hand?

This is a tough one. I’ll sleep on it, will think about it, and perhaps will figure it out.

Returning to the question (Jan-22-2012). I was thinking about it today in unrelated situation. I thought fear might be a reason. We continue with jobs or job activities we don’t like, because we fear poverty or disruption caused by quitting and looking for something better.

It Depends. On the person. On the goal. On context.
Can I take risks where failing jeopardizes other people? It depends. On the person…

When it comes to doing what is right never trying is worse. For important personal goals, never trying is worse if you can live with the consequence of failure. Not trying will rot your soul.

8-15 years younger. Since my teens I felt always 10 years less mature than I should be. It feels good when it makes me feel young. But often I feel life would be better if I knew 10 years ago what I know now; I should have known all that 10 years ago, but I wasn’t paying enough attention, thinking deeply enough, or acting fast enough.
It sounds vague, but that’s how I’m describing the feeling.

—50 questions make me think. I’ll try to answer all on the list: www.marcandangel.com/2009/07/13/50-questions-that-will-free-your-mind/