10 Things

Every once in a while, I like to "take stock" of who I am, and whether or not my actions and ambitions are remaining true to whoever that is.  Lots of times, not so much.  And when this happens, in order to get myself  back on track, I make a list.  The "lists" always have a title--"10 things I've always wanted to do but couldn't afford," or "10 things I love about NJ," etc.
It helps.  Every time, it always helps.
So, in the spirit of that, let's give it a try.

Your 10 things category is:

Ten Thngs I (menaing you, not me) Know to Be True.

Annnnddddd go.......

The Secret of my Success...and other Fallacies

So, I'm at my favorite bookstore, which I have to travel to Cherry Hill for, and as usual, I become spellbound by all of the collective knowledge that is, literally, at my fingertips as I walk up and down the aisles.
 I find it absolutely mind-boggling that you can be in a single structure or a building, and hold the keys to the universe if you look closely enough ( I was, coincidentally, in the space-exploration aisle).
I suppose the same could be said if you are standing in a library, but there is something about those clear plastic wrappings they put on library books that makes what is contained within seem less accessible. But, as usual, I digress.

So, there I am, walking among the aisles of knowledge and I find myself in the self-help section looking at all the titles: The Success Book, How to Succeed in Business, 7 Secrets of Successful Teens etc. All of these books, all dedicated to the notion of success. That was when it hit me--how do these books ever sell? Aren't all individual ideas of what success is dramatically different? And then, it hit me again..."I wonder what Lang kids view as definitions of success? Hmmmmmm...blog question!" And now, here we are.

So, tell me--what is YOUR definition of success?
What are the hallmarks, again, to YOU, of a successful person?
 How do you judge whether or not you are successful? A
re there different levels, different measures of importance tied to levels?
What do you need to have, to own, to acquire in order to feel successful?
What types of things need to happen in order for you to see yourself as a success?
(450 words/60pts)

Mental Floss

bout two years ago, I  was perusing the internet, over Easter weekend, and I came across a blog I used to follow quite regularly. It says things like "practical tips for productive living," and then it goes on to list things that would be good to think about during the daily grind. It's written by an annoyingly cute couple who obviously sit around thinking philosophically on the regular. I must say, I'm a tad jealous because, frankly, I don't have the energy.

Anyway, if you're interested in the site itself, I will give you the link, but I don't want to make it seem as though I am "sponsoring" it or anything here, because, well, that's illegal.

Soo, as I was browsing around the archives, I found some cool, thought-provoking questions that left me lost inside my own head for a good 2 hours or so. There were 50 of these mind bending questions (Originally I thought there were a hundred in two 50 question blocks, but I misread it), and I am not going to list them all here, but I am going to post some of the more provocative ones.

Obviously, you don't need to write volumes on any one question--but expound on a few of the ones that really resonate with you and allow your mind to roam at will. Take your time and have some fun on the mental playground that these questions construct sort of naturally.  You should answer AT LEAST 8 of them, and only 5 if you really go into detail.

From time to time, I may pop in with my own answers to some of these--feel free to engage in conversation with me, or any of your classmates during the course of this week's blog!

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? (I love this one!)

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

The Things We Leave Behind...

Well, here we are again...the LOVE blog...
With a twist.

So, here's your scenario--it's 20or so years in the future.  You have 2 children, boy and girl.  You may have given birth to these kids, adopted them, stolen them from bad homes like I do dogs, whatever--you have them.

Their ages are 12 and 13.  Your daughter is older.  Both of your kids are, of course, stunningly attractive and have each shown interest in romance (same sex/opposite sex--again, doesn't matter).

Based on your personal experiences, what do you want them to KNOW about love?
Will you tell them?
Will you let them find out on their own?

What are the most important and key pieces of information you want your kids armed with when it comes to notions and ideas about love?
How much of what you tell them will be based on your own experiences?

And finally, where did your own ideas about love come from? Do you think that had anything to do with how you feel about it now?


***PS--this blog was originally written as a story, but it wsn't working out the way I wanted it to, so...***

I Think; Therefore, I AM.

There is an old proverb that says, basically, if you cannot ask you cannot live.

Well, it sounds deeper and more profound than that but I can't think of the exact wording.
In preparation for your This I Believe presentation, which is a Bunje English assignment (that you won't actually get until May 14), vey cool, and usually fun to write, please carefully consider the questions below, and do your best to reflect and answer them as honestly as possible.

 1. What am I grateful for?

2. Am I honest?

3. What do I need to change about myself?

 4. Do I know what my talents are and do I utilize those talents?

 5. When I help someone, do I think, "what's in it for me?"

Again, answer honestly--no one will judge you, especially me. In fact, I will answer them too.

Kind Magic

Did you hold the door open for anyone today?
 Did you let anyone step in front of you on your way into school, the cafeteria, a classroom?
Lend anyone a pencil, pick up a fallen book or paper?
For most of you, the answer is probably yes, you did in fact do one or more of those things. All of you are well-mannered, considerate and generally just a nice bunch of kids. So, for today, or the next 7 days as it were, let's take that one step further. This will require a bit of imagination, introspection and innovation, so again, don't sit down to this blog on Sunday night at 11pm and think you can do a respectable job on it.

Ok, so imagine, one morning, after a kindly old wizard--who bears a striking resemblance to Albus Dumbledore--visits you in your dreams, you awaken with the power to give one person anything in the entire universe. What would it be and why?

Now, that question, while startling limited in word content, is not as simple or straighforward as it seems.
I am not actually asking you to go ask someone what wish he or she would like to have granted (which seems like the obvious assumption given that I started off talking about wizards and magic); Instead, I am asking you what YOU want to give someone if you had the power to give them anything, and I am asking you to explain that choice.  Additionally, because there is always an "additionally," I would also like to know what advice you would give this person after you have bestowed this "gift" upon him or her.

Lyrical Philosophies and Identity

Your identity is unique to you.  The way you view life, love, people, the world--all of that make up your personal philosophy and that's what contributes to your personal identity.

Philosophies about life and love and happiness and adventures are as vast and varied as we are as individuals.  Figuring them out, deciding how you want to look at the world, and how you want the world to look at you, is an integral part of the search for identity. 

 Googling quotes about those things may provide a glimpse into something worth exploring, so start there if you wish, but remember--we are, for better or worse, a gang of intellectuals.  And to that end, we shall explore to depths a quick glance at quotes would never allow.

Many of you use music as a gateway. To sanity, to serenity, to solace and/or to solitude. Music, to many of you, is an escape from the harsh realities of teenage life. 
So, now it is also going to be a tool in which you come to a greater understanding of how you see the world, and how you see yourself. I'm trying to ruin music for you--quite the opposite, actually.  I am kind of hoping you'll get a clearer understanding of why you like music that you do.

Think about all the music you love to listen to. Specifically, think about the lyrics to songs you love. Now, I want you to pick one or two songs that adequately encapsulate how you feel about life, your life. Of course, like a quote, nothing can COMPLETELY "sum up" your entire life--I understand that. But many songs, either through explicit or implied messages in lyrics, can at least provide a concrete example of either what you want out of life, what you want out love and how you want to be perceived, taken, understood etc.

So, your task this week is to tell us about a song, copy a few of the refrains/chorus/passages, and explicate their meaning(s) to you.  
First, try to look at the song objectively--from a purely lang-intellectual standpoint.  That is, identify metaphors or imagery, hone in on concrete and abstract language, and try to analyze how the songwriter put together the lines to tell a story.  
Why does one lyric come first? Why is that the chorus? Etc.

Then talk about what the song means to you, specifically. Try to pick ones that have some depth and that will provide a deeper understanding of your innate beliefs.