11 Direct Questions From The Blue Sky Tag Challenge

Blue Sky Tag…for bloggers you say…

So, I’ve been nominated for the Blue Sky Tag Challenge!

The rules are simple:

• Thank the person who nominated you and tag their blog
• Answer 11 questions
• Ask 11 questions
• Tag 11 other bloggers

It’s a fun little challenge and another way to break the routine.

A big thank you to Amy for nominating me for this fun challenge 🙂

Read More: What Is One Life Changing Year?

11 Questions From The Blue Sky Tag Challenge

1. When was the last time you got an electric shock?

The last and only time I’ve ever gone an electric shock was when I was staying in Vietnam. I went to plug something into an outlet and must have touched the metal because I got electrocuted! Unlike Canada where the outlets are secure, and there’s little chance for you to get electrocuted, the outlet in Vietnam had significant gaps in the outlet. Hence, I must have been careless, and that was it!

The sensation I felt is still something I cannot put into words today. In my experience, I felt as if I was being thrown away from the wall and I blacked out for what seemed like an eternity. I must have passed out for 30 seconds or less, and the sensation left my body as quick as it came. In hindsight, I should have gotten it checked out, but I felt fine afterward, and I’m still alive today, so all is good.

Side note: I also got stung by a scorpion that same summer. THAT was more painful than the electric shock, and the pain lasted for almost a day. Yep… I have stories I tell ya. Don’t be fooled by all these picture perfect photos and blog posts…

2. What is your greatest compromise/sacrifice?

This question is tough to answer. I’d say my ultimate sacrifice is spending my time on goals that I hope will have future benefits. The biggest sacrifice of my time was probably during the early years of my career. I worked crazy hours only to come home and spend my evenings studying. I barely had friends to hang out with and was so lonely that I bought companionship (see photo below). Studying consumed my weekends, and I had no time for anything outside of work and school. I have no regrets though, and I’m grateful for the career capital that I built because it’s my insurance. Now I can go and pursue some crazy projects knowing that if nothing works out, I will always have a good career to fall back on.

…My companion for life

3. If you were the KING/QUEEN of the world, what would you like to change and why?

Oh boy, I don’t even know where to start with this question. I’d say the most important thing I’d like to change would be accessible education to everyone. The second thing I’d change is for everyone to learn empathy and compassion. You know, make it a compulsory lesson because it is a life skill that benefits the individual and society. My belief is that empathy is a universal skill that applies to all aspects of one’s life.

I believe that if there are more empathetic people on this planet, then our world would be a peaceful place. For humans AND for animals (they have feelings too!).

4. Who is your greatest support? What would you say to him/her reading this?

I’m lucky to have family and friends who are supportive of me, but obviously, the winners in this category are my parents and G. My mom only cares about my happiness, and she gets upset when I’m not happy. My dad is supportive of my crazy dreams likely because he has overcome some crazy dreams in his life (runs in the family). Whenever I am unhappy, he tells me, “It’s ok, you were born in a first world country. You can chase after any dream you want as long as you’re responsible about it. You have a good education, and you built a good foundation, just try. If you don’t get what you want, it’s a lesson. Failure is just a harsh lesson”.

G is a kind soul, and even though he has no crazy gene, he seeks to understand my perspective that is way different from his upbringing. And of course, my friends who support me in various ways, especially during the times when I felt like crap. It’s so easy to be around someone when they are happy or in a good situation… and that’s why I’m super grateful for those who stuck around during the tough times.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value; you are still priceless to those who love you

5. Do you know the name of your apartment’s/office’s/home’s/hostel’s/complex’s/building’s watchman? If not, would you ask for their name the next chance you get (be honest!)?

Why yes, I make it a point to know what the name of it is my concierge because it’s the nice thing to do 🙂

6. Let’s face it, practicality is important, but let’s say that you were trying to achieve something that was most dear to your heart against all the odds! Would you let go or rather persevere until you have it?

No, I would not, and here’s why. There’s a balance between doing what is responsible and following your dream. This notion of following your passion sounds romantic but let’s face it, we only hear about the passionate people who succeeded. What about the passionate individuals who did not succeed in pursuing their dreams? The story is one-sided here, and it’s important to remember the other side of pursuing a dream. It’s ok to take risks, but it’s important to assess the situation and take calculated risks.

For example, if I couldn’t meet my basic needs, or I have others who are dependent on me, I would not pursue my dream at the expense of others.

If I were fortunate enough to pursue a dream, I’d remind myself not to be attached to the outcome. It’s different when you are committed to just the journey – there’s less (no?) ego involved, and it’s all about the learning and the invaluable lessons. I’d also assess that journey at various checkpoints because life happens. If my path has changed or I no longer enjoy the ride, I don’t see a problem in quitting and moving on to something else that makes sense.

7. What is your favourite book back from your childhood days (from the mind of a child version of you)?

I don’t have one favourite book from my childhood days because I read everything under the sun. I probably spent most of my days reading the Goosebumps series.

8. Have you watched the movie ‘THE LION KING’? What are your thoughts about it?

Yes, I’ve watched the Lion King only a million times as a child. While I have not watched the Lion King in a very long time now, I like to reenact some of the scenes every so often.

Make sure you have the volume on before you hit play. The star of the show starts running for the doors as soon as she hears this song.

https://www.instagram.com/p/5Dioqij3Gj/

9. Are you more of a skeptic or a believer when it comes to people? Why?

I am a believer in people and give them the benefit of the doubt. But, if they prove me wrong, then I stay far far away from them #byefelicia.

10. SUCCESS against HAPPINESS. Which is easier to attain and which do you have? If both, then how did you get there?

This question has no easy answer, and I guess it all depends on how you define success and happiness. If we are talking about conventional success measured by attainment of goals, that’s something that is external. Happiness comes from within. Success seems to be the easier one to attain because it’s measurable and there are forged paths to follow. Happiness is internal, unique to each person and there is no clear strategy on how to obtain happiness.

Andy Rooney summarizes happiness in this great quote:

For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are that you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. On the other hand, if happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness

In my mind, something has to change if I did not feel happy on a regular basis. It is always in my power to control my happiness.

I’d say I have both success and happiness at the moment. Success was the easier one to attain because the blueprint was quite easy (although the journey was not!) – Study, work, study and live below my means. That’s it! Happiness was harder because it required me to think carefully about my own definition of happiness and not let others’ thoughts cloud mine. This exercise required a lot of alone time, introspection, lots of reading about self-awareness and probably other steps that are not coming to my mind at the moment.

Related: The Year I Learned To Trust My Inner Voice

11. If you had a talk, what would your talk be about? Humor or inspiration?

It would be about the importance self-awareness, and I would try to make it humorous and inspirational. I don’t think these two traits need to be mutually exclusive, but the reality is, I’m not very funny, and I don’t think I’ve gone through enough adversity to be inspirational. I mean, I try to be funny…but no one laughs at my jokes. Everyone laughs at me when I am NOT trying to be funny (boo!).

My questions for the next 11 bloggers for the blue sky tag challenge:

1. How long have you been blogging for and why did you get into blogging?
2. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from blogging?
3. What’s your favourite book and why would you recommend it?
4. Name five people who are a huge influence in your life and why?
5. Name three things you are grateful for and why?
6. Who inspires you? Why?
7. What’s one quirky fact that not many people know about you?
8. What makes you happy?
9. What is the one thing you are most proud of?
10. If you can devote one whole year to pursuing a dream, what would it be?
11. What’s currently stopping you from pursuing your dream an what resources do you need to help you pursue your dream?

Blue Sky Tag challenge nominees:

1. Take Us Anywhere
2. My Global Attitude
3. The Fitty
4. Escaping Life
5. The Tent Heads
6. Along came an elephant
7. Following The Rivera
8. The Vibrant Momma
9. From Design To Welcome Home
10. Sue Lyon-Myrick Photography
11. Simply Sydney Carlson

Looking forward to reading your answers 🙂

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