1. How excited do I have to be to use an exclamation point?

I don’t know.

2. How do I have a good, happy and successful life?

Getting what I want, and being happy are not the same thing. The paradox of happiness is, the less I think of what I want, and the more I think what I can do for others, the happier I become and the richer my life gets. I never considered the mere fact of “being happy in life” as success. That doesn’t mean I deprecated financial gains. Nothing wrong with having a secure life.

3. The only place where omitting a fact is not considered lying is in a court of law.

I don’t have an answer to this. It doesn’t make sense.

4. Why is life painful?

When I feel pain, I pay attention. The universe is trying to teach me something about life, and until I learn that lesson, the lesson will keep repeating itself. I’ve learned to embrace the pain, not try to escape it.

5. How do I live a long time?

If you want to live, you have to pay. It’s called health insurance. Eat healthy, and exercise, there is no pill that can replace that without consequences.

6. Who am I? What do I believe in? What do I stand for?

If you take away all the fear that society has taught you, all the fear that your parents, …your teachers, …your religious leaders, …your friends have taught you, what’s left is who you really are.

7. How do I lose fear of financial insecurity?

Get a job, pay your debts, and stop spending your money on stupid things you don’t need.

8. I’m afraid that I’ll fail and my dreams won’t come true?

If you tried your best, then you have already succeeded and cannot fail no matter the results.

On that journey your life will transform, you will grow, and you will learn. My life looks very different than the way I thought it would look from 20 years ago. I’m glad my dreams didn’t come true, I would’ve short changed my self.

9. What’s anxiety?

The inability to see how I can navigate through my life in the future.

10. What’s regret?

Reliving the past, hoping by thinking about it, that it still may turn out different.

11. Will I find Zen on top of the mountain?

The only Zen you find at the top of the mountain is a Zen that you bring with you. (Robert M. Pirsig quote)