Questions

The following are questions that everyone needs to answer. They may not need to do so in words. But their actions are going to tell their stories.

1. Who do I want to help?
2. Who do I want to connect with?
3. Who do I want to learn from?
4. What am I going to be known for?
5. What difference do I want to make in this world?
6. How am I going to realize my life’s purpose?
7. How can I make progress day by day?
8. How should I spend my time?
9. Where am I going to live (now and in the future)?
10. Where am I going to inspire others?
11. When am I going to take on various projects?
12. When do I hope to see specific results due to my actions?

These questions are deep.

They cannot be answered once and for all. Any answers must be confirmed day by day. We live in a changing world. While our personalities are somewhat fixed, our circumstances change. Our desires change. Our opportunities change.

I’m not recommending that we address these questions daily. That would be crazy. I am suggesting that any answers we give are provisional.

I considered adding a few WHY questions to the list and decided that those could be for another day.

Here is a snapshot of my answers today.

1. I want to help lots of people. Mostly I want to help my wife, Karilyn, and my daughter, Mikayla. But I feel like I need to help others too!
2. I want to connect with storytellers, artists, and scientists. I want to dance with dancers for the joy of dancing. I want to create new worlds with people who can help me make it happen. I want to bring science to people who are curious about science. I want to know those who just might be curious about knowing me.
3. I want to learn from people doing some of the things I want to do. For example, I want to learn from Simon Sinek and Adam Grant. I don’t feel like I need to know them personally. But I want to learn how to give talks that others want to hear and how to write books that others want to read.
4. I want to be known for being kind, curious, and playful. I want to be known for at least some of my creative output. I want to be known for having a light touch as a leader.
5. Again, I don’t want to make a difference in just one way. I want to provide better opportunities for Karilyn and Mikayla. I want to put more effort into my relationships as I get older. I want to lead by example. I want to show others what’s possible when we consistently make courageous and creative choices. Mostly, I don’t think people can be saved; they can learn to save themselves.
6. Several years ago, I tried to gain clarity on my life’s purpose by doing Simon Sinek’s exercises in his Find Your Why workbook. Maybe I should try again! Is one’s life purpose more evident in retrospect? This year, I’ve gained insight into HOW I can do more work that matters. I can use the Stars for Your Soul approach. I’ll write more on this later!
7. Each day, I can reward myself for doing more of what matters. The only way to make significant progress is to put in effort each day. When this becomes a habit, the next steps become obvious.
8. I am happier when I spend time each day doing things that matter. So, I want to do more of that!
9. I currently live in Colorado. I have for most of my life. I want to live in other places for at least part of the year. I have a list of places I find intriguing. Portugal is near the top.
10. I think I can inspire others wherever I find myself. Online, I can be here. At least sometimes!
11. I’m currently working on a screenplay project. I’ve started writing a series of books for young readers, which I plan to continue as it makes sense. These are my highest-priority projects for now. I have lots of other projects that may become a priority later.
12. This is a silly question! My expectations don’t matter. Results may happen at any time. There’s no way of accurately predicting the consequences of our actions. Still, the actions we take do matter. It’s like planting seeds. We can be curious as we learn which seeds grow and when.

These answers do not satisfy me.

They feel rushed and unrehearsed. That’s OK. They are not meant to reflect the meaning of my entire life. Still, they have value. And that’s worth sharing!