Intriguing questions worth thinking about before answering

16 questions from the article 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind from the Marc and Angle Hack Life blog. )

1. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
2. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
3. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
4. What are you most grateful for?
5. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
6. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
7. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
8. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
9. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
10. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
11. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
12. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
13. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
14. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
15. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
16. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

10 questions from Tim Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour Work Week

1. What are you putting off out of fear? Usually what we most fear doing is what we most need to do.
2. If you want to be happy, which is the best question to ask: “What do I want?” or ” What are my goals?” or “What would excite me?”
3. What are 5 things you dream of having (e.g. house, car)? 5 things you dream of being ( e.g. a great cook)? 5 things you dream of doing (e.g. visiting Thailand)?
4. A question to ask several times a day: Am I being productive or just active?
5. If you had a heart attack and had to work two hours per day, what would you do?
6. Who are the 20% of people who produce 80% of your enjoyment and propel you forward, and which 20% cause 80% of your depression, anger and second-guessing? (And the obvious follow-on question: And who are the people who totally mess us up by managing to give us both lots of enjoyment and misery but at different times?!!!)
7. If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?
8. What is the one goal, if completed, that could change everything?
9. Can you let the urgent [tasks]”fail” — even for a day — to get to the next milestone for your potential life-changing tasks?
10. A good question to ask when feeling overwhelmed: Are you having a breakdown or  breakthrough?

4 questions from Martin Seligman’s book Flourish

1. In one or two words, what do you most want for your children?
2. Is there someone in your life whom you would feel comfortable phoning at four in the morning to tell your troubles to? (If your answer is yes, you’re likely to live longer than someone whose answers is no. (p 21)
3. How much of your precious time should you devote to pursuing money if what you want is life satisfaction?
4. What is wealth for?  (Click here for Seligman’s answer.)