Tell us a story: an unexpected gift

What memorable gift caught you by surprise because it didn't come on any of the usual gift-giving occasions?

Tell us a story: "Wrap that up for me"

What is the most elaborate or most extravagant gift that you've ever bought for yourself?

Allies (5)

What is the payoff for your friends and supporters? What do you do to show your appreciation? What benefit do they gain from sticking with you? 

Allies (2)

How important is it to you that a friend remains loyal? Do you easily forgive friends for sometimes being on the wrong side of a conflict, or do you tend to get rid of friends who don't stick with you? 

Success (5)

No one attains success completely on their own. A singing star has a backup band, and a champion athlete has coaches and trainers.  Who would you count as the Most Valuable Player on your team, the person who has contributed the most or supported you the most on your path to success? 

Tell us a story: timely advice

Tell us about the time when you were in the right place to offer someone advice that kept them from making a serious mistake, or helped prevent a small problem from turning into a big problem.  What was the situation?  What advice did you offer?  And what might have happened if you hadn't been there to help?

Things that can't be seen (2)

Sometimes don't need anyone to say "thank you"; you just want to make sure things work out well. What are some things that you do, quietly or even secretly, to help out your community, your employer, or the people around you?

Tell us a story: over too soon

Sometimes, things we share with other people — including, for example, clubs, TV shows, and regularly-scheduled community events — end sooner than we want them to, and our lives feel a little poorer without them.  What was one thing that you were particularly sorry to see come to an end?  Did you ever take personal action, for example, by stepping in as a volunteer, to keep something going longer? 

A little bit of help

What happened this week that you could count as a miracle, or a well-timed lucky break, or a surprise bit of help from an unexpected source?

An even exchange

Did you ever swap books with a friend, so each of you ended up with a new book to read?  What is something that you traded away for a similar but more useful item? 

This week's theme is trading in.

No one wears these anymore

What was the ill-suited gift that you quickly exchanged for something better?

This week's theme is trading in.

Tell us a story: generous act

Tell us about a time you gave something away, not because you didn't want it anymore, but because you knew the person you gave it to needed it more or would make better use of it.  What was the item?  And what happened to inspire your act of generosity?

Good dream karma

Do you sometimes dream of helping out someone else?  Do you dream of rescuing, protecting, advising, teaching, encouraging, or assisting other people? 

What kinds of people do you help in your dreams, and what kinds of problems do those people face?  Do you see any similarities to the problems you yourself face in your waking life?

This week's theme is dreams.

Tell us a story: helping a stranger

Tell us about a time when you helped out a stranger, not for any reward but purely as an act of kindness — just because you happened to be there and it was clear that they needed help.  Where were you?  What happened?  What did you do to help?  How much of your time did it take?  Did your efforts make a difference?  What might have happened if you hadn't stepped in to help?

Likes and dislikes

When you list your likes and dislikes, do they tend to be fairly conventional, or do you tend to have eclectic and idiosyncratic tastes?  Are you generally open to trying anything, or are you particular and picky about stylistic details?  How easy or difficult is it for people to buy gifts for you? 

This week's theme is your personal style.

Personalized

What is something unique that you did or made in someone else's honor? Was it their birthday or some other special occasion?

"I don't know how you can stand it"

What is one thing other people find enormously frustrating that you can tolerate with no problem? Do you sometimes do this particular thing as a favor for other people, in order to spare them frustration?

This week's theme is frustrations.

Ebb and flow

Where does your local tap water come from? Where does your stormwater runoff drain to?

If you drink bottled water, where does it come from?

This week's theme is water.

Wind in your sails

An anonymous well-wisher gave student wizard Harry Potter a top-of-the-line flying broomstick so he could compete better in the sport of Quiddich. What helpful gifts or favors (anonymous or not) have you received from people who supported what you were trying to do and who wanted to see you succeed?

This week's theme is built-in advantages.

The idea box

What — or who — has been one of your best sources of helpful new ideas?

This week's theme is new ideas.