Do you lead an interesting life?

[speakeasy]

If you think you do, tell what makes your life interesting.


What makes one person's life interesting and not the other? I'm not just being philosophical, having an interesting life ties in strongly with a DJ mindset.

 

[Mr. Highroller]

no, its pretty dam boring and routine. i workout, chill, talk to the gf on the phone or chill with her, and sleep. i used to have such an exciting life 3-4years ago

 

[speakeasy]

So are you working on making it exciting?

You know, the majority of people have completely uninteresting, routine lifestyles. That's why movies like James Bond and Indiana Jones have been so legendary. It allows people for a couple hours to live vicariously through some movie character with an exciting life as a temporary escape from their own mundane existence.

 

[Mr.Positive]

That's the thing Speakeasy, it's all about perspective. One man's interesting is another's mundane.

What you have to do is find a life that is interesting to you, that's what's important.

I live on a sailboat. I'm fixing her up to sail around the world someday. I think that's pretty interesting, so I'm happy. To someone else, it's stupid (or crazy)..

 

[Charm&Style]

besides living an interesting life it also depends on how outgoing one is.

 

[Obsidian]

If you live a life like Indiana Jones or James Bond, chances are you'll end up poor or dead.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

besides living an interesting life it also depends on how outgoing one is.

I know a couple of monks who have extremely interesting lives but I would hardly describe them as outgoing. More proof that it's all subjective.

 

[Master Bates]

No, I don't. And I'm trying to think of ways to change that before my 20s are gone forever....

 

[Mr.Positive]

One quick tip on making your life more interesting..

Travel internationally. Explore a new culture, and meet new people.

Anyone can do this, but shockingly, very few actually do.

 

[Bible_Belt]

I second the travel recommendation, and I might live on a boat someday....

Also, as has been discussed here before, take risks. Do an adrenaline sport or at least something that involves risk: motorcycles, fast cars, jet skis, skydiving, whitewater rafting, scuba, skiing. I have never seen a race car driver with an ugly wife. All the nascar drivers have beauty queens for girlfriends.

 

[kdnash82]

When I'm traveling for work I think my life is pretty interesting. My work allows me to travel all over the world and meet all kinds of different people and see some amazing things. Otherwise, I lead a pretty dull life.

Monday-Friday (everyother week)
Go to work
Go home, watch tv, play around on the computer
Go to my girls house, eat, talk, watch more tv, sex is optional
Sleep
Repeat

Odd Friday (I get every other Friday off)
Friday is usually spent doing things I couldn't do during the week.
Haircut, bills, wash car, laundry, clean house
Go to girls house. We (in other words I) usually pick out something to do on Friday night as a "date" type thing.
Sex is optional

Saturday We (in other words I) usually pick out something to do as a "date" type thing
Sex is optional

Sunday is spent watching football
I usually go to a local bar with my buddy for this.
If not at the bar then we're at a buddy's house for bbq/beer/football.

Pretty lame life

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

No, I don't. And I'm trying to think of ways to change that before my 20s are gone forever....

You plan on limiting the myriad of interesting things life has to offer to only the next four years of your life? WHY???!!!

 

[speakeasy]

Well here's 10 things I want to do that would make my life more interesting:

1) Climb Mt. Whitney(tallest mountain in Lower 48 states), been wanting to do this for a couple years but getting a permit during optimal times is hard.

2) Backpack trip in S. America

3) Go to carnival in Brazil

4) Buy a motorcycle

5) Learn to play guitar(I used to take lessons a looooong time ago). Maybe get back into my saxophone and jam with some of my jazz playing buddies.

6) Maybe, just maaaaybe start competing in martial arts tournaments if I get good to that point. But not sure about this one.

7) Learn how to salsa dance really well

8) Start volunteering as a mentor to trouble youths or for some environmental organization

9) Join a photography club

10) Start reading more books on a wide variety of interesting subjects(makes for better conversations).

Sometimes I think that if people just turned off the television, it would force them to find interesting things to do with their lives. But the average person watches 6 hours of TV a day. That is the most uninteresting thing people can do. "Hey what do you do yesterday" ...."uh...I watched TV".

 

[kdnash82]

2) Backpack trip in S. America

3) Go to carnival in Brazil

4) Buy a motorcycle

5) Learn to play guitar(I used to take lessons a looooong time ago). Maybe get back into my saxophone and jam with some of my jazz playing buddies.

6) Maybe, just maaaaybe start competing in martial arts tournaments if I get good to that point. But not sure about this one.

7) Learn how to salsa dance really well

10) Start reading more books on a wide variety of interesting subjects(makes for better conversations).

These are things that I wanna do also.

1. No backpacking, but visiting would be nice

2. I've been trying to make it to carnival for the past 2 years now. My job schedules a trip around that time every year so far.

3. Been wanting to buy a motorcycle for a while now also

4. Use to play the trumpet in high school. It would be cool to pick that back up again. I can't even remember the scales at this point.

5. I use to compete in tournaments when I was younger. I no where near as flexible as i use to be and the stuff they do in tae kwon do nowadays is amazing and i'm pretty sure i would get my butt kicked.

6. Salsa dancing is one dance I just can't get the hang of. I use to go to salsa clubs all the time. I can merengue (sp) very well though. the girls usually get turned off when i can't salsa though.

7. i'm always reading books while on travel. only thing that passes the time when i'm not doing anything.

 

[comic_relief]

Is my life interesting? Hmmm... You be the judge. I don't think that it is that interesting, but other people differ.

5 college classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - Legal Environment of Business, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Ancient Philosophy, and folklore and literature (not on friday)

Clubs - On the Edge of Honor (Western Martial Arts with swords), Cool Cats Swing Club (Swing Dancing), Student Business Association, Conestoga Club (The enviromental club on campus), and a few religious groups on campus.

Job - I'm the college mascot that gets in front of 2,000 fans and rallies them up. I also get to throw footballs, cups, chapstick, and other things up into the stands. I also get a confetti sword that uses CO2 canisters.

Working out - Spends an hour to 1.5 hours in the gym every day. Doing the stair stepper, stationary bike, crunches, and other things.

Girlfriend - Musician, funny, intelligent, loves to travel, and treats me like a king. She currently joined Cool Cats Swing Club with me. She also works out with me. Girlfriend joined me for aerobic exercises.

Girlfriends activities - marching band, she teaches me music, and does a few other things with me.

Travelling - In the past two years, I have managed to go visit 10 state and national parks around PA, NJ, WV, FL, and GA. I have jumped off of waterfalls, went possum hunting, went to Disney World, hot springs diving, and managed to also go snorkling at the Keys.

Books - "The millionaire mind," "Success through a positive mental attitude," "Please stop laughing at me...", "The Success Principles", "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People", "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your dreams", "How to win friends and influence people", "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", "The Ultimate Gift", "The Apology", "The Meno", "The Alladin Factor", and a couple others.

Business - failed at creating a non-profit organization although I had all the paperwork ready to be filled out. Lack of support was what made it fail.

Goal for next year - During the summer, bike from Millersville University, PA west to Washington state then South to San Francisco Bay to visit a couple of the DJ's that live down there. While raising money for a Diabetes Foundation for research.

Future Business Plan - Create a public speaking firm that tells children, teenagers, and young adults never to give up on their dreams.

Do I think that my life is interesting? Eh... It could be better. I think I'm making progress.

 

[6-heads lewis]

kdnash, what do you do that involves so much travel?

i wrote this yesterday and submitted to imatternot.com:

-----

...imagine if a doctor told you today that you have 1 year to live... imagine how great that year would be. I wish I knew exactly when I was to die, so I could enjoy my time until death without worry about the future. Instead im just another corporate bozo in a marketing firm preaching about efficiency, sales pitches, communication and customer service. im selling useless crap to idiots.

...instead of living 5 exhilirating, adventurous years and then dying, im stuck living another 50 boring, predictable, numb years, at which point im senile and can't control my bladder.

...everyone is so concerned with buying a bigger house, bigger car, and getting celebrity autographs? for what? you're all fukn pathetic, and im just as pathetic for not knowing how to change.

----


to answer your question, my life is very uninteresting and unfulfilling. Ive often contemplated creating a timeline, lets say 5 years, to blow all my money and live recklessly, at which point I kill myself. id become a professional fighter, gambler, porn star, sperm donor, whatever. take massive bank loans, travel, etc.

most of the great film rebels die soon, which is why it is so hard to follow in their footsteps. I would rather be brad pitt from fight club, or kevin spacey in american beauty, or ghost dog, for 1 year than live my life for the next 50, BUT, in all likelihood i wont be dead in 1 year, and living that lifestyle just makes you homeless and unemployable. none of the great heroes had to live with the consequences of their lifestyle. I would assume James Dean often died in his movies.

THATS MY DILEMMA! it seems suicide is the only answer, or putting yoruself in a situation that guarantees an eventual death.

 

[Luthor Rex]

I know a couple of monks who have extremely interesting lives but I would hardly describe them as outgoing. More proof that it's all subjective.

Um...

Were you hanging out at the "monk bar" when you met them???



Seriously, where did you meet up with monks? Also, do tell what's interesting about their lives.

 

[speakeasy]

kdnash, what do you do that involves so much travel?

i wrote this yesterday and submitted to imatternot.com:

-----

...imagine if a doctor told you today that you have 1 year to live... imagine how great that year would be. I wish I knew exactly when I was to die, so I could enjoy my time until death without worry about the future. Instead im just another corporate bozo in a marketing firm preaching about efficiency, sales pitches, communication and customer service. im selling useless crap to idiots.

...instead of living 5 exhilirating, adventurous years and then dying, im stuck living another 50 boring, predictable, numb years, at which point im senile and can't control my bladder.

...everyone is so concerned with buying a bigger house, bigger car, and getting celebrity autographs? for what? you're all fukn pathetic, and im just as pathetic for not knowing how to change.

----


to answer your question, my life is very uninteresting and unfulfilling. Ive often contemplated creating a timeline, lets say 5 years, to blow all my money and live recklessly, at which point I kill myself. id become a professional fighter, gambler, porn star, sperm donor, whatever. take massive bank loans, travel, etc.

most of the great film rebels die soon, which is why it is so hard to follow in their footsteps. I would rather be brad pitt from fight club, or kevin spacey in american beauty, or ghost dog, for 1 year than live my life for the next 50, BUT, in all likelihood i wont be dead in 1 year, and living that lifestyle just makes you homeless and unemployable. none of the great heroes had to live with the consequences of their lifestyle. I would assume James Dean often died in his movies.

THATS MY DILEMMA! it seems suicide is the only answer, or putting yoruself in a situation that guarantees an eventual death.

I don't know about killing yourself, lol, but this was a pretty interesting post. I've never thought about that. Would I like to know when I was going to die. When you put it this way, I think I would like to know. You would approach your entire life completely differently. Any bullsh*t that wastes your time, you will cut out and focuse in on what you really consider fullfilling.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Um...

Were you hanging out at the "monk bar" when you met them???



Seriously, where did you meet up with monks? Also, do tell what's interesting about their lives.

LOL, good one... Y'know, you end up meeting a wide variety of people when the Dalai Lama comes to town (I've seen the 14th speak twice).

What's interesting is their lifestyle, not necessarily what they do, it's how they do it. Through their training to gain "enlightenment" they learn a way of perceiving things and people in a way that makes our daily interactions seem extremely superficial. You wouldn't believe the wondrous things that we regularly overlook which can give us the wisdom and insight to answer the majority of all of our questions (i.e. "enlightenment").

The monks get this. No day is boring to them. Every day feels as if it was their very first, that there is something else out there to learn or understand. That purpose and excitement can be had without grand adventures. Not that there's anything wrong with a good adventure, it's just that your life needn't be dependent on them to make your life interesting. Part of leading an interesting life is to be interested in life. Oh yeah, being able to learn the various forms of martial arts which originated at the Shaolin Temple completely rocks!

 

[6-heads lewis]

i just dont get life. its long. its very long. the american dream seems to be have a wife, house and kids by 35... then what, what do you do for the next 50 years? invest in real estate? argue with your wife? buy new cars? pay taxes?

this all just seems so boring. i bet life was more fulfilling in ancient times, when lifespan was much shorter and unstable. imagine living in fear that you'd have to fight a bear the next day, or be involved in some tribal battle or something.

i know this is a controversial topic, but Ted Kaczynski was brilliant. His observations on the problems with industrial society were very accurate, especially in how it has become easier and very profitable to fix the working class to cooperate with the system through medicine and propoganda, rather than adjusting the system to fit our needs.

----------------------------

edit - another problem with society is the excess amount of options we have. when people are faced with too many options, they are overwhelmed and choose none!

you can vacation anywhere, choose any career, live anywhere, etc... yet most of us do none of these tihngs. we are unsatisifed with every choice, because of the endless "what ifs". heck, arranged marriages work better than free choice!

it would be much easier if we had some kind of focus which to invest all of our energy and become masters at, as opposed to the modern way of pondering everything and accomplishing nothing.