Every once in a while I’ll go through my Google bookmarks bar and tidy it up. See what’s still relevant and what’s not, and cull it to my more current temporal interests. I have a batch of folders on the top bar, each dedicated to a field of interest with the links placed in their respective folders (e.g., Work, Aviation, Finance, Social, File Stuff, Web Stuff, Shopping, Music, Employment, Travel, Paranormal, Lit & Science, etc.).
While going through the Paranormal folder I saw a link that I saved a while back. It was titled “30 questions you should ask yourself before you die.” Sounds a bit morose, but it’s really not. It was originally written by a 30-year old, however, the title tends to grab the attention of a sexagenarian.
I suppose it doesn’t really belong in the Paranormal folder, because, although skirting on being a little new-agey, it’s actually quite normal — nothing really “para-” about it. I’m still keeping it, but will move it to the Lit & Science folder.
It was more of an inspirational article. One that gives tips on how to focus on what’s important in life. Little introspective lifts we can all use well, if properly applied. I had forgotten that I saved the link (the forgetting perhaps due to experiencing a senior moment), but I’m glad I did.
Life is an endless flow of questions – meaning is always in the making and it is constantly being created as we speak. The ultimate meaning of life then is the One that creates meaning: the traveler (not the journey), the subject (not its objects, ideas, circumstances, possessions), the lover (not the love), the wayseer (not the way), the warrior (not the battle)…You.
— Andrea Balt- 30 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Die
Ms. Balt posed in actuality 31 questions in her article. I won’t take any jabs at millenial-math here, because the 31st is actually the real biggie, and probably the miscalculation error was intentionally used as a literary device to accentuate the importance of the final summary question.
There are many uses for negative space.
Without going into the details that were offered in the article, what follows is a summary of the questions she posed. The only requirement is to be fiercely honest with yourself when asking and answering them; be as objective as possible. A bonus suggestion is to privately write down the answers for your personal use only. Squirrel it away or tear it up afterwards; it doesn’t matter, there are inherent benefits to defining it just by putting it on paper. Because what you’re defining is what constitutes the most you. Ask yourself:
- How much have you loved?
- What do you love doing that you aren’t doing?
- What person or type of person would you choose as a life companion?
- Where do you want to live?
- What do you want to accomplish? And most importantly, why — what’s your motivation?
- What do you want to be remembered by?
- What kind of life would “make you jealous“?
- What adventures do you want to have?
- If you had to add something to humanity, what would your contribution be?
- What are your ghosts? Your unspoken demons?
- What are your favorite memories?
- Who do you love the most?
- What worries you the most? Why?
- What type of people inspire you and make you come alive?
- What type of people bring you down and make you hate yourself?
- Who are your mentors? What have they taught you?
- What is your cosmic elevator pitch?
- What issues can you help with?
- How can you express yourself creatively?
- How do you manage your time? What works for you?
- If you were to leave the world today, what’s your manifesto?
- What makes you come alive? What ignites you?
- What are your most painful memories?
- Why do you eat the way you eat and the things you eat?
- What ignites your brain?
- What physical exercise makes you sweat it like you mean it and enjoy both the process and the afterward feeling?
- What does your body need in order to function at its best?
- What feeds your spirit? What gives you goosebumps? What makes you fall down to your knees in awe (and weep)?
- What are you proud of so far? What have you accomplished?
- Fast-forward to your epitaph. What does it say?
Simple yet impressive list of questions. Some, taken by themselves, don’t offer any particularly great revelations. But if applied in toto they end up providing a solid basis for creating your own life road-map. Armed with this map of self-definition we can begin to head most efficiently toward the goals of being what truly constitutes our most authentic us, no matter the vehicle nor speed with which we are traveling. We have defined ourselves.
The only thing we need to do is keep our foot on the pedal (or pedals, depending on the mode of transportation). The key is to keep moving forward, staying on the course charted on the map.
To live a life as fully in concert with the answers to the questions posed above is indeed a well-lived life. We needn’t ask for more, and can beg no regrets at the end.
The 31st question then answers itself.