Call for backup

Who is your best person overall to turn to for help when you have something difficult to handle?

This week's theme is hidden strengths.

Hidden strengths

What was one emergency or unusual situation when you surprised yourself by handling things that you would normally think were beyond your capabilities?

This week's theme is hidden strengths.

Tell us a story: spilling it

What was an uncomfortable secret that you carried for years, until you found that it was okay to let it go and tell the truth? What made the difference that made it okay to drop the secrecy?

Down on the farm

Do you keep any animals that are not pets? What can you tell us about them? Are they chickens, for food? Goats, to keep your lawn trimmed? Mice, for laboratory experiments? A wild animal that comes around because you feed it?

A shining example

Like everyone, you have many personal strengths and virtues; some are easy to see, others more hidden. Of all of these, which would you most like to see other people adopt and imitate? Which of your strong points would do the most good for the world at large?

This week's theme is values.

Next year's theme

If you had to pick one of the following words to serve as the central theme of the next chapter of your life, which would you pick: tranquility, prosperity, triumph, or healing?

This week's theme is values.

Misspeaking and missed speaking

There are two ways by which your speech can be at odds with your values. The first is by saying things that you don't truly believe. The second is by not saying things when circumstances call for you to speak up.

Looking at your own past behavior, which of these two faults is more common for you?

This week's theme is values.

Values: your specialty

Yesterday we mentioned four ways to value things: (1) by speaking of them, (2) by taking action, (3) by spending money on them, (4) by devoting time and attention to them. All four of these areas are important, and different people tend to specialize in different ones. Which is your specialty? When you find something that's important to you, which of these do you tend to do first, or most often, or with the most energy?

This week's theme is values.

Values

There are at least four different ways to measure our values: (1) by our words, (2) by our actions, (3) by how we spend our money, (4) by how we use our time.

Ideally these four measures should be in alignment with each other and in agreement with your real values. In practice, things are never that neat. In your life, which of these four feels most in line with your real values?

This week's theme is values.

Tell us a story: underground

What's one memorable place you've been or one unusual thing you've done below ground level — in a cave, tunnel, subway, or basement?

Making a difference

What is one of the world's big problems that you feel you could help to solve (or at least would make a serious and sincere effort), if you were given the opportunity?