The Question

As a college student, I get asked every day "What do you want to do when you finish school?" and the answer is a carefully considered, but practical. I would like to work in finance at a surf company. The troubling thing is how I, and many other people came to this very sensible decision. After weighing out salaries, possibilities for promotion and the chances of realistically succeeding in our fields we all come to a realistic and practical conclusion. But what about if the exterior money woes and fear of failing were stripped from of the equation. Then, I'm assuming, our answers would be very different. The question is no longer, "What are you going to do when you grow up/get done with school?" but instead it is, "What would you LIKE to do with your life?," "What would make you HAPPY to do for the rest of your life?"

What would you do if money wasn't a part of the equation and there was no chance that you could fail?

Would you become a professional baseball player, help children in Africa, or own a major corporation? Would you be a dad, a teacher, or surf every break in the world? What is it that fills you with joy, gets you out of bed every morning excited, and sets your soul on fire?

I'm asking my friends, coworkers, family members, and anyone who's interested, to consider this question and take inventory of dreams and desires that may have been left in the dust years ago.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Days Four, Five, and Six

1. I'm grateful for my fantastic group of girlfriends. Recently, I've been spending much more time with them, and it honestly feels so good to see them all again. Though most of them are nonbelievers, they know me better than anyone and are always there to give advice, call me on my crap, and cheer for me when good things happen. I'm so thankful that even if our faiths are different, we're like sisters. These girls are all so different and because of that, they each add a specific and wonderfully different piece to my world.

2. I'm grateful that I have a coat to wear today. I'm at work right now, and it is freezing and windy outside. I'm so grateful to be blessed with a warm coat and a warm scarf, to fight this freezing weather. I know that so many are not so lucky, and I would be an icicle without this jacket.

3. I'm grateful for the free food I get at work. At my job, there's a buffet-style cafeteria that employees can eat at for free. I'm grateful that I can each as much food as I want for free. It's a wonderful thing that my employer provides us with food, and it saves me so much money. Also, the cooks there are amazing and always have a vegetarian option too.

4. I'm grateful for sleep. I haven't been getting much of it lately and last night I finally got home before 11pm, and went straight to sleep. It was fantastic, and this morning I feel so much more well-rested and ready for work, than my usual zombie-like state. I'm grateful that with classes wrapping up for this quarter, I'll have more time to sleep and renew my energy supplies. I'm grateful for sleep that is restful, rather than interrupted. I'm grateful that when I'm sleeping, and on the rare occasion that I have a dream, it's a happy dream. I'm grateful that I rarely have nightmares and am looking forward to many nights falling asleep with a good book in the coming weeks.

5. I'm grateful for creativity, and the ability to make something exist out of nothing. I'm grateful for the creative teachers I have that push me to make time for my work, my writing and art. These people push to me to learn, play, become inspired, break rules, and to let go.

6. I'm grateful for the smell of a brand new book, when it's fresh, new, unread, and totally yours.

7. I'm grateful for my bucket list. It pushes me to be more adevnturous and spontaneous with my time. It is based mostly in travel, and activites that push me, like skydiving and racing a car. I will complete all 100 things on that list before I kick the bucket.

8. I'm grateful for nights on friends' couches and porches. I love the quiet qualtiy of latenight conversations, when we talk about life, love, our futures, etc. There's no pretense, just a realxed way to enjoy one another's company.

9. I'm grateful for giant overstuffed chairs that I can curl up in with a book or my journal. When I get my own apartment, the first thing I'm buying is a soft gigantic chair.

10. I'm grateful for my records. I can be a bit of music snob and with my more than 150 vinyl record albums, I'm so grateful that I can be a bit nostalgic and listen to my favorite bands on vinyl, the way they were first released. I love the grit of vinyl and the sound is amazing.
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