Thursday, December 31, 2009

Last day of the old year

Well, here we are at post #365. To those of you who followed us throughout the year, a big thank you! And, we hope that these questions opened some doors for you, and enhanced your thinking and journaling process.

What subject areas on this blog engaged you the most? What question vexed you the most? What do you wish we'd spent on more time on?

See you in 2010!

This week's theme is the year in review.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Theme of the year

What was the theme of the year for you personally? What opportunities and challenges came up over and over? What lessons repeatedly presented themselves?

This week's theme is the year in review.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Plot twists

Try to remember where you were at the beginning of this year, and what you expected 2009 to bring. Which things came out as expected, and which caught you by surprise? How different was the general tone of the year from what you'd anticipated?

This week's theme is the year in review.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Person of the year

Of all the people you met this year, who had the biggest impact on your life?

This week's theme is the year in review.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Top ten: gratitude round up

Looking over the entire year, what ten things are you grateful for? What benefited you the most this year? What factors outside of your control worked in your favor?

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The year in review

Did you keep a diary or a journal this year? If so, do you plan on looking through it sometime over the next week, to review the year? Whether you keep a diary or not, do you take time at the end of each year to look back over your accomplishments, trials, and general progress?

Friday, December 25, 2009

The big C-day

Does your family celebrate Christmas? (If not, substitute your preferred major holiday instead.) What is Christmas like with your family? Do you look forward to it, or dread it? Have you ever made up an excuse to miss the big family holiday get-together? Or are you the person planning next year's as soon as this year's is over?

This week's theme is family.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

The official party line

Does most of your family subscribe to a similar belief system? Are there members who don't follow the same faith? Are they accepted, merely tolerated, or shunned by the rest?

This week's theme is family.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Vanilla, or green-tea-macadamia-pomegranate-chip?

Does your family lean more towards conforming to normal behavior, or do they tend to express their own unique qualities?

This week's theme is family.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Family: the motion picture

If your family were a family in a book, or a movie, how would your character be described (in a few sentences)? Who would play you in the film?

This week's theme is family.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Your family

Who is your family? What does it mean to be a family?

This week's theme is family.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Top Ten: 2009 in review, part 1

Looking back at the year, what were the ten lowest points for you? These are bad things that happened, twists and turns that were unexpected and unwanted, difficulties and obstacles, and just generally unfortunate turns of fate or luck.

(A more cheerful top ten is coming next Sunday!)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Rise and shine

Do you rely on an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning? If you didn't use an alarm clock, how much later would your sleep?

Friday, December 18, 2009

Godzilla suit

What is the most outlandish costume or outfit that you have ever worn? What was the occasion or event where you wore it? What kind of response did you get?

This week's theme is extremes.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

It's better to give

What is the most generous thing you've ever done? Or the most expensive gift you've ever given?

This week's theme is extremes.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Unabridged

What is the longest book that you ever read cover to cover?

This week's theme is extremes.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

World tour

What is the farthest you've traveled to see a concert? Who was the performer?

This week's theme is extremes.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Meal ticket

What is the most expensive meal that you ever paid for?

This week's theme is extremes.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Top Ten: clothes make the wo/man

All your clothing reflects your personal style, but what ten pieces of your wardrobe — anything from head to foot! — distill the true essence of your unique look?

Saturday, December 12, 2009

A postcard from...

What would be your dream vacation? If the cost and logistics were all handled for you, where would you like to go?

Friday, December 11, 2009

Breathe deep...hold...breathe out

What are you doing to reduce the level of stress in your life?

This week's theme is stress.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

What are you worried about?

When we feel stress, it's often at least partly because we care about what happens. For example, wanting to look good, wanting to avoid embarrassment, and wanting things to come out perfectly are all basically positive motivations, but they're likely to make experiences more stressful. What are some of the things that you care about—things that contribute to your stress and anxiety? Who or what generates the most stress in your life?

This week's theme is stress.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

How much is too much?

How many days in the past week held too much stress and anxiety for you? How many days this week are you expecting to be stressful? Do you try to schedule stressful events so that they don't fall on successive days?

This week's theme is stress.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

If you can't take the heat...

How does your personality change when you feel under pressure? Do you lose your sense of humor, or do you make jokes to try to break the tension? Do you become more passive, or more determined? Do you tend to lash out at people around you, or do you become quiet and withdrawn?

This week's theme is stress.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Under pressure

When you feel under pressure, what parts of your body are the first to be affected? What physical symptoms help you notice that you are under too much stress?

This week's theme is stress.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Top Ten: regrets and mistakes

What are ten things that you are sorry you did—actions or decisions that you would take back and do differently if you could?

Saturday, December 5, 2009

In the spotlight

Have you ever been on TV? On the radio? In front of a large audience? What was the time in your life when you felt the most publicly visible or the most "on stage"?

Friday, December 4, 2009

Today's new experience

Every day brings new challenges and new experiences. What is something that you did, yesterday or today, for the first time ever?

This week's theme is firsts.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

First minute at home

What is often the first thing you do upon arriving at home (after closing the door, switching on the light, and putting down the things that you're carrying)?

This week's theme is firsts.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

First day at work

What was your first money-making job? What was your first full-time job?

This week's theme is firsts.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Groundbreaking

What is one thing you did before anyone else — something that no one from your family, or your town, or your school had every done before?

This week's theme is firsts.