Getting to know me, getting to know all about me...
Questions from Jess:
1. If you had to make a forever decision right now, would you continue to eat chocolate or not?
Not. Luckily I don't have to make that decision. But if I did, I would decide no more chocolate forever. I feel better in lots of ways when I don't eat chocolate. Here are a few questions I have around that are useful in decision making: a) Does it lead me toward a fuller life or does it confine me? b) Does it bring me closer to my heart or does it take me further away? c) Does it open me or does it close me? d) Does it allow me to trust myself further or does it make me frightened of myself? e) Does it enlarge my life or does it make my life smaller? It may seem silly to use questions like that about chocolate. But it's not. They're useful across the board. And when I ask myself those questions about eating chocolate, it leads me towards not.
2. You were writing down dreams (life dreams, not asleep dreams) the other morning. Care to share any of them?
It's true, I was reading this cheesy dream book. Called Making Your Dreams Come True. I didn't quite get to the part about actually writing down my dreams, I was more in the finding my passion stage. First I was supposed to write down three times in my life that I felt pure excitement and passion. I easily came up with: a) Befriending Katy Mills in 5th grade. b) Holding baby K as he slept. c) Singing, surrounded by old & dear friends, at my family's Christmas party this year. So then I was supposed to look at those three experiences, and find the common thread. Pinpoint what it is that ignites me. I came up with this: connection, knowing and being known, maintaining and sustaining relationships, witnessing humanity. Then I was supposed to use those words to conceptualize my life's purpose. I got this: truly and intimately knowing others and bearing witness to human experience, maintaining long term connections to others, sustaining meaningful relationships. My life's purpose is to truly connect and stay connected to others in relationships that support growth and provide witness.
That said, there's really no way I can justify NOT quitting my current job. Because it does NOT accomplish that purpose.
3. What keeps you at your church? What makes you want to keep going?
For years I kept going to church because of the above. The continuity of relationship. I went because I liked the singing and I liked the community. It was just in the last two or three years that I started to connect on other levels as well. I go to church because it leads me toward a fuller life, brings me closer to my heart, opens me, allows me to trust myself further, and enlarges my life. (It's interesting that you asked me this, Jess, because I've been thinking a lot about church and me this week. Listening to you and Katy and Marianna (sp?) and also my friend Lillie talking about your churches. Made me wonder about me and my church.) I go because I hear about and experience spirituality that's meaningful to me there.
4. What's your favorite thing about your new house?
Favorite. Hmmmm... I could come up with a list. But picking just one is hard. I guess my favorite thing is more an experience than a "thing." It's sitting on my couch with my laptop, watching a movie. Really, that's my favorite. I'm doing it right now. And I didn't do that at my old place.
5. Favorite thing that's purple?
Once again, "favorite" is hard. Purple tulips. That's my favorite.
Wanna be interviewed? Here are the rules:
1. Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2. I will respond, and ask you five questions.
3. You'll update your journal with my five questions and your answers.
4. You'll include this explanation.
5. You'll ask people five questions when they want to be interviewed.
1. If you had to make a forever decision right now, would you continue to eat chocolate or not?
Not. Luckily I don't have to make that decision. But if I did, I would decide no more chocolate forever. I feel better in lots of ways when I don't eat chocolate. Here are a few questions I have around that are useful in decision making: a) Does it lead me toward a fuller life or does it confine me? b) Does it bring me closer to my heart or does it take me further away? c) Does it open me or does it close me? d) Does it allow me to trust myself further or does it make me frightened of myself? e) Does it enlarge my life or does it make my life smaller? It may seem silly to use questions like that about chocolate. But it's not. They're useful across the board. And when I ask myself those questions about eating chocolate, it leads me towards not.
2. You were writing down dreams (life dreams, not asleep dreams) the other morning. Care to share any of them?
It's true, I was reading this cheesy dream book. Called Making Your Dreams Come True. I didn't quite get to the part about actually writing down my dreams, I was more in the finding my passion stage. First I was supposed to write down three times in my life that I felt pure excitement and passion. I easily came up with: a) Befriending Katy Mills in 5th grade. b) Holding baby K as he slept. c) Singing, surrounded by old & dear friends, at my family's Christmas party this year. So then I was supposed to look at those three experiences, and find the common thread. Pinpoint what it is that ignites me. I came up with this: connection, knowing and being known, maintaining and sustaining relationships, witnessing humanity. Then I was supposed to use those words to conceptualize my life's purpose. I got this: truly and intimately knowing others and bearing witness to human experience, maintaining long term connections to others, sustaining meaningful relationships. My life's purpose is to truly connect and stay connected to others in relationships that support growth and provide witness.
That said, there's really no way I can justify NOT quitting my current job. Because it does NOT accomplish that purpose.
3. What keeps you at your church? What makes you want to keep going?
For years I kept going to church because of the above. The continuity of relationship. I went because I liked the singing and I liked the community. It was just in the last two or three years that I started to connect on other levels as well. I go to church because it leads me toward a fuller life, brings me closer to my heart, opens me, allows me to trust myself further, and enlarges my life. (It's interesting that you asked me this, Jess, because I've been thinking a lot about church and me this week. Listening to you and Katy and Marianna (sp?) and also my friend Lillie talking about your churches. Made me wonder about me and my church.) I go because I hear about and experience spirituality that's meaningful to me there.
4. What's your favorite thing about your new house?
Favorite. Hmmmm... I could come up with a list. But picking just one is hard. I guess my favorite thing is more an experience than a "thing." It's sitting on my couch with my laptop, watching a movie. Really, that's my favorite. I'm doing it right now. And I didn't do that at my old place.
5. Favorite thing that's purple?
Once again, "favorite" is hard. Purple tulips. That's my favorite.
Wanna be interviewed? Here are the rules:
1. Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2. I will respond, and ask you five questions.
3. You'll update your journal with my five questions and your answers.
4. You'll include this explanation.
5. You'll ask people five questions when they want to be interviewed.
posted by toni @ 6:24 PM
3 Comments:
At 3/29/2005 8:29 AM,
Anonymous said…
So, I've been reading your blog. You asked a few days ago who was reading and I didn't respond, even though I intended to. There's been a lot I've wanted to respond to but haven't. I seem to be resisting interation with the blogging world. I think it's because I love getting all of this new information about you and I don't want to mess it up. And maybe some of it feels like I shouldn't be reading it...like I've come across some secrets and I shouldn't let on that I know. But I do. I've been reading...so there you have it. And I'd like to be interviewed. Your interview was so interesting to read and interesting to see what questions were asked of you. But I don't have a blog.
Thanks for sharing, Town Pocket.
At 3/29/2005 11:26 AM,
toni said…
Wow Lis, that’s so interesting. Am I really revealing that much of my secret, personal self? Do it. Jump into the blogging world. Don’t start a blog if you don’t feel like it, but do make the leap and start posting comments. It won’t screw it up. Te prometo. I’m glad to have you know my secrets. All of you. And now, some questions for Lis:
1. What are three aspects of your dream job?
2. If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what would it be?
3. What do you love about living in Seattle?
4. What do you hate about living in Seattle?
5. Are you happy to know that Jerry (the window guy) asked about you today?
At 3/30/2005 2:56 PM,
Anonymous said…
Okay, I'll be a little more interactive.
answers:
1. The things I'm looking for in a dream job are shockingly similar to yours. Or maybe that's not so shocking. But reading your dreams made me realize how totally and completely true those things are for me. If I had to pick one thing (which I don't, since you asked for three) I'd say connection. Being connected, helping other people get connected, finding connection in things I may not normally see.
2. Gray. It's such a cozy and comfortable color. Things in gray seems so much softer. Freshman year of college I may have said white.
3. I love that Seattle is between Bellingham and Olympia. I love Greenlake. I love that my two oldest friends live here. I love living here with Tyler. It seems so intentional. We didn't just end up living in Bellingham. We decided we wanted to live in Seattle and we did it. And it feels good to have set up a life here. It's something my family doesn't do. Everyone stays in Bellingham.
4. My lack of community. I have my three dear, dear friends, which is wonderful. But when I go places, I don't know anyone unless I come with them. And that makes me really sad. And I'm realizing that I've been gone from Bellingham for so long that it's becoming more and more true there too. So I don't like living in Seattle because it's not time spent building a community in Bellingham.
(note: It may seem as though I'm contradicting myself...talking about loving that Seattle's not Bellingham and talking about wanting to be in B'ham. I love that I tried something else and decided on B'ham. That seems more deliberate, which I like, and I like that I tried some other things and found out how much I really do like B'ham.)
5. A. No. B. That explains why he was trying to figure out if we were a couple. C. Why do I seem to attract that kind of guy? Aside from my main squeeze, I attract losers. Which is just fine by me, as I am not in the market for a new beau, but it does make a lady wonder...
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