Questions Worth Asking Yourself, Part I

1. What's your passion? Teaching. Working with kids. Working with students with disabilities. Learning about diversity. About people who come from different backgrounds.
2. What would you do in life if you did not need to work for money? Teach social skills groups to students with autism. Travel the world. Become a photographer or a professional hiker.
3. Did you ever help a complete stranger? Not as much as I should or probably could. But there's one time I can think of ... I gave a homeless woman my last $10 to buy herself some dinner.
4. Forget your real age for a second. Tell yourself how old you are. I couldn't even tell you. But I'd say I definitely act as though I am in my mid twenties.
5. Who are the 3 most important people in your life? My Mother. My Father. ....?
6. Do you like your birthdays? In the end I usually do. But I almost ALWAYS stress over the celebration of them for weeks beforehand. The thought of inviting people, and them not showing up stresses me out. I also become insecure and wonder if people - who say they are my friends - really are.
7. How many times has your heart been broken? Just Once. But once is more than enough.
8. How many times have you fallen in love? Just Once. I am afraid to fall in love again. Therefore I have not allowed myself to get too close to anyone. I look for their flaws/red flags and run before the person ever has a real chance.
9. Where do you want to be in 5, 10, 20 or 40 years.
   5 - I'll be 30. I will have my master's degree and be a 9th year teacher.
   10 - I'll be 35. I will hope to own a car and home. I also hope to be married.
   20 - I'll be 40. I hope to have 3-5 kids by then.
   40 - I'll be 65. Maybe I'll have a grandchild? Or my doctorate's degree?
10. If everything was possible, where would you live? Somewhere near the water. The ocean is where I find my peace and solitude.
11. What are you grateful for? My friends. My family. My career. My apartment. The opportunity to pursue a Master's degree.
12. Usually do you listen to your heart or your brain? My brain. I am way too logical about most things. I am a thinker.
13. How much time do you spend in social networks? At least three hours a day. Maybe more depending on the day. Not good. I know. I keep trying to unplug. For longer than an hour.
14. When is the last time you laughed out loud? Earlier tonight. Watched a stupid video on buzzfeed. The dog was dancing to rap music. Pathetic. I know.
15. When is the last time you tried something new? I could not even tell you. It's about time I did. Does dating someone new count?
16. Do you live for others or yourself? Honestly... it depends on the day. I'd like to think I live for others because I am so passionate about teaching and making a difference in the lives of my students. However at this point in my life, I can be VERY selfish at times. I want everything to be on my time and focused on me. And I am trying hard to work on that -- especially because I was not always like that.
17. What is happiness for you? A coffee date with a good friend. Deep conversation with an old friend. Visiting some place beautiful. Seeing the light in a child's eyes when they finally master something. Hearing my favorite song on the radio. Wearing a pair of comfy blue jeans. The feel of sand between my toes. Salt on my skin and an ocean breeze in my hair.
18. Do you give up too soon? Not typically. I usually start off strong. Waiver and loose speed/focus a little in the middle. Then I get a second wind and finish strong. Don't underestimate the size of the fight in my little soul.
19. When was the last time you cried? Last Friday night. I watched The Best Man Holiday. And I cried as though I had lost someone near and dear to me. I think my tears were for something deeper though. I am just not sure what.
20. Is the cup half empty or half full for you? I'd say generally half full. I am usually pretty positive and upbeat. If I am anything other - it usually signifies that I am under an undue amount of stress or going through a pretty challenging time.