3 Questions

[Black Syren]

My mother calls me a dreamer and maybe I am however, I will put forth these questions and hope that I am not alone.

1.) Have you ever felt that in this life there is more that you should be doing, or even so far as to say you should be doing something completely different with your life. Something that you just feel deep inside that compels you to keep looking for what you should be doing? Whether tis occupation wise or something else?

2.) Do you ever wish to be thought of for something 200 years from now? That some

mark you made in your life will go on? That you will be remembered and not

forgotten?

2.) Have you ever been faced with death and suddenly just wonder about all the things you have yet to do, things that you wish to do?

[Capt. Sterling]

1. Not completely different, just more

2. As long as God is happy and my kids remember me, I don't care what the world thinks.

3. Dying, there are some places I wouldn't mind seeing, but as long as I am with family, they are all that matter...

[Salty]

1. I dont know what purpose the gods have for me as of yet, and they are not telling. Whal i have studied all my life is not the path i find myself on now, perhaps the teaching o my subject is how I can keep it going, or perhaps I am meant to learn from my students somthing that no one else can teach. The bottom line is yes.

2. Ideally, no I do not wish to be rememberd, I wish to fade from memory as quietly as I may touching those in life as they wish to let me, and causing no sorrow or grief at passing out of thier lives.

3. As I have said before there are two dates on a headstone, the date of birth and the date of death. What truely matters most is the way you used the dash in between them. As to longing for what is yet undone, death is just another part of the journy.

salty

[oderlesseye]

1.) Have you ever felt that in this life there is more that you should be doing, or even so far as to say you should be doing something completely different with your life. Something that you just feel deep inside that compels you to keep looking for what you should be doing? Whether tis occupation wise or something else?

This is a Spiritual question for me....Selfish vs selflessness..right vs wrong ect.. eeerrr so EYE quit giving thought to the what ifs and decided that for me to be happy, it is better to be present in self acceptance in the moment. I gave up Dogma because it was sapping my happiness away by making me feel I should be some other person than whom Eye am! My life is comprised of Moments connected to moments. I am not a doing..I am a Being so the occupation part of the question seems irrelevant to me as long as I eye Love God and Others

2.) Do you ever wish to be thought of for something 200 years from now? That some

mark you made in your life will go on? That you will be remembered and not

forgotten?

Eye could care less about fame and remembrance. Well ok Eye did get my Moniker at the end of a pirate film, but that was just for boasting and gloating rights...

2.) Have you ever been faced with death and suddenly just wonder about all the things you have yet to do, things that you wish to do?

When I was faced with dieing in a car accident and saw my life flash by in a ultra fast succession of mental pictures , Eye did not have tyme to think about "Things I've yet to do" because I was to busy surviving the violence of tumbling down the freeway right then.

I bet Ole Capt. Bo would ave something to say to the same effect.

Edited January 29, 2009 by oderlesseye

[Black Syren]

When I was faced with dieing in a car accident and saw my life flash by in a ultra fast succession of mental pictures , Eye did not have tyme to think about "Things I've yet to do" because I was to busy surviving the violence of tumbling down the freeway right then.

I bet Ole Capt. Bo would ave something to say to the same effect.

I suppose I meant afterwards, coming close to dying twice myself gave me a new appreciation for life but it made me realize all thos things I had been putting off. Does that make more sense?

[hurricane]

My mother calls me a dreamer and maybe I am however, I will put forth these questions and hope that I am not alone.

1.) Have you ever felt that in this life there is more that you should be doing, or even so far as to say you should be doing something completely different with your life. Something that you just feel deep inside that compels you to keep looking for what you should be doing? Whether tis occupation wise or something else?

2.) Do you ever wish to be thought of for something 200 years from now? That some

mark you made in your life will go on? That you will be remembered and not

forgotten?

2.) Have you ever been faced with death and suddenly just wonder about all the things you have yet to do, things that you wish to do?

You're not alone. And you're not a dreamer if you actually accomplish some of the things you've been thinking about.

1. I think that's what drives us in life. Finding what fulfills us. It changes over time for some. And it is what keeps us growing. We don't all know what we were born to do. Often, our entire lives are consumed by the journey, and not necessarily by the destination.

2. I would rather be remembered than rich, that's for sure. I don't really think in terms of 200 years. I think more in terms of touching others I don't know and may never see again, whose life was touched by something I did. I remember once entertaining at a shelter. During the entire time, one war vet was writing - seemingly not paying attention. At the end of the performance, he handed me what he was writing. It was a poem, to me, about how much he appreciated taking the time to come to the shelter. Those are the moments that mean the most to me, whether or not it lasts a lifetime or beyond my lifetime. We touched each other's lives for that moment and then were changed ever so slightly because of it.

3. Yes. And I thought the very same. I was 19 at the time. And it touches you deeply at the time. For me, it went away in my 20s and 30s when I seemed like I had all the time in the world. But it has returned with a fervor now that I'm 50 and you find yourself on the backside of your lifespan. Time becomes precious again and you suddenly realized you have an awful lot to do before you can checkout of the hotel of life.

-- Hurricane

[Mission]

I have an exercise I created for one of my trainings (Do You Want More?) that can help you to research your mind regarding your "purpose." You'll find it in .PDF here. It's a pretty simple exercise, but it may help you to identify trends that hint at possible future directions.

On the flip side, recognize that the grass is always greener. I remember hearing a story about a woman who attended a piano concert by an amazing pianist. At a party afterward, she approached the pianist and said, "I'd give anything to be able to play like you." The pianist replied, "No you wouldn't." The woman was taken aback and the pianist explained how he practiced every day for 4 to 6 hours (or something like that) and he had been playing and practicing the piano since he was a child. Indeed, the woman wouldn't give anything after all. I think we often see someone else doing something we consider amazing, but fail to consider all the hours of work that go into being able to do whatever it is we're watching. The more effortless and fascinating something looks, the more likely I've found it to be that the details are often tedious and painstaking to complete. (Be careful what you wish for.)

In one of my trainings, I tell people not to bother worrying about what people will think of them in the future or even now for the most part. There are only a limited number of things you can do to control your reputation. Because your reputation isn't a unified thing - it's something located in each individual who has an experience of you. You don't have one reputation, you have thousands or more - your reputation is located in each person who has an idea about you and they're all completely different. If one of those people decides to sit down and write a book about you, that may form something of a unified picture, but even then...everyone who reads it will form an opinion. Instead, you just have to be honest about who you are and try not to spend a lot of time worrying about or (worse) trying to craft an image. (There are many who will disagree with me on that point and that's fine with me.)

As for the death thing, I have used that as an exercise in trainings as well. It's an oldie but a goodie. "Imagine you'll be dead in 6 months. What do you want to do between now and then?" Naturally, the result of this exercise is to tell people. "These are the things you should be doing now."

[Christine]

1) Yeah, probably, but God knows what he has in store for me. :angry:

2) Sometimes yes, sometimes no

3) Came close to dying twice before the age of 4, don't remember too much about it. Almost died at the age of 16 with complications with my appendix. Again, still didn't think about it, probably cuz I was quite young.

[Ransom]

1. I think everyone, at some point in their life, asks that question. Should I be doing something more important? Am I being all that I can be? Am I wasting my life? It's a hard question to ask yourself, because there is no easy answer. If you are horribly unhappy then that might be a sign that you should reevaluate your situation, and take a new step. I like the saying, "For every door that closes, and new one opens." We're just never sure what's behind the new door.

2. Unless you can do something that the whole world is going to thank you for — like cure cancer, invent affordable alternative energy, etc — few if any of us will be remembered beyond our life span and the life spans of the people who knew us. Even those with huge amounts of money and have their names emblazened in marble over some library they have paid for, are forgotten eventually. Then, those using said library look up and wonder, "Who the heck were they?" The name means nothing.

3. I like Salty's comment, it's what you do with the time between birth and death that counts. And as for near-death experiances making everything suddenly clear, it doesn't. I nearly died. Afterwards, I expected I would somehow instantly know what was important in my life and what wasn't. I would have some kind of grand epiphany. Didn't happen. What I learned was, life goes on. My crisis was barely a blip on the radar of life. So I quit worrying about. What it did teach me was to treat everyday as if it was my last — and to tell the people I love, that I love them. Every chance I get! Because they can be gone in the blink of an eye.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

1) This is why after my shoulders gave out and I was told construction/maintenence was no longer an option, I chose to get my teaching cert.

2) Not really.

3) I have faced death more than anyone else I know personally, and the best answer I can give is you just gotta keep on keepin on, Nothing you can do to predict or change when your time comes, but be the best you can be til that day.

As I have stated before, I am an agnostic. Too many people equate this with atheism. Not at all true. I steer people to the Websters Dictionary, College version. That is the simplest way to describe my spiritual sentiments. I am not a very complicated person really;

Spiritually-agnostic

Politically-independent

Philisophically-existentialist

Realism is my guide in life. Be smart enough to know what you can/cannot control, dream enough to challenge your abilities, and always maintain your honor.

Bo

[Graydog]

1-When I think there is more I should be doing, its time for me to do more.

2- It doesn’t matter if I am remembered for 8,000 years or less than a nanosecond after death. I would be dead. It matters what I do while I am alive, if that is memorable or not to future generations isn’t my concern.

3- As far as facing death I have reflected upon how to avoid those dangerous situations in future, not really been a time for self introspection. I have been shot at both on purpose and accidently, had a terrorist bomb set around me (shout out to Abu Nidal, rot in Hell you bastard), enjoyed an unintentional 500 foot jeep drive off a cliff, had to handle an IED to determine if it was still fuzed expecting it to detonate while doing so, nearly drowned, faced down a sawed off shotgun, rammed a car going backwards into a side rail at 80 mph with gasoline going everywhere, and the list goes on and on. (LOL, I am luckier than I thought!) Anyhow, nope never had a “If only I learned to tap dance moment”. If I wanted to learn to tap dance it would go on my to do list. Which by the way it isn’t on.

[Hawk the QM]

1. I feel that way right now but it always comes back to my job. I'm a professional nomad and there's no perfect job for me, just the ability to keep things fresh and keep moving. I feel that people like this should not look for something in specific, just to always look for something more. It's a stepping stone and usually the path is more rewarding then the goal. You never know, you may stumble upon the one thing that can keep you fresh for the rest of your days. That's how I feel anyway.

2. Not one of my concerns. I think the monster is remembered more in history then the hero. The world remembers Hitler but very few of the ones that stood against him and certainly not every one that died fighting his followers. I think I'd rather NOT be remembered by anyone who was not a friend that shared time with me. You can't be remembered by someone who didn't know you. They can just tell tales however true or false.

3. Never live with regrets, ever. The few times when I was faced with oblivion I only thought of the things that I did. My only regret would be to leave the loves behind but never what did not come to pass. Don't chase fantasies because the moment they become reality.. they are already in the past. If you live your life with the hopes of going places and doing things, then you have accomplished the first step and that's almost as good as the deed itself. Don't regret things just because you couldn't reach them. I would only worry if I was about to die and I said to myself "Why didn't I even WANT to go to the moon?"

I know how ya feel Syren, if only a little. If you KNOW you want more, then you're closer then the rest of the sheeple. =)

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I bet Ole Capt. Bo would ave something to say to the same effect.

Aye, the only thing I saw was trees in the headlights! My only thought before I left the road was: Here we go, I'm dead. (which I said aloud) and my inner thought was: "I hope everything works like it's supposed to." (i.e. aibags and seatbelt.)

When everything stopped moving, all I thought about was getting my arse outta there in case fire broke out. Once safely on the ground outside I began to feel around and take stock of my condition. I actually laughed out loud when I realized I was still able to move about on my own, sore and bloody yes, but damn! What a ride!

Bo

[Cpt Sophia M Eisley]

1.) Indeed I have. I don't see myself in the same job in a few years time. I do know what I want to do, but realize it will take a bit more planning, a few more years and a lot of elbow grease to get there. And even at that point, I know I won't be there (future occupation) forever. That, and I'm still on a search for a lot of questions I've withheld from the world (spiritual, political, scientific, etc). Just have to seek the answers out myself through listening or interaction with others, and keep looking for new questions to keep going.

2.) I'd hope that I'd be remembered for saving something, or someone. I doubt I'd be the one to find a big cure for a disease (I'm smart, but not geneticist smart).

2.) I witnessed a fatal car accident some 6 or 7 years ago, and was nearly included in it. That caused me to reevaluate my life, set goals and pursue them a lot harder than I had before. I wanted to ensure I at least take a chance at things I consider important, rather than not and regret it later. I've learned to appreciate knowledge, celebrate life and not be afraid to care (or love) if the mood strikes me. After all, it could all be gone tomorrow.

[Mission]

I write this success newsletter every month and I always include quotes related to the topic I write about. This whole discussion sorta' kinda' reminds me of some favorites...

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." –Marie Curie

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours." - Ayn Rand

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." -Calvin Coolidge

"Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable." -Helen Adams Keller

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." –Mark Twain

"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting." - Katherine Hepburn

[Animal]

1) I do what is needed to give my family what is needed. My needs are simple, I work for my family.

2) I could really care less. Those who love me will remember me. That is all that matters.

3) When it's your time to go, it's your time to go. Nothing you can do about it.

As you can see, I'm a realist. If I can see it in front of me, I deal with it as best as I can. If I can't see it, oh well.

Animal