Laina Laughing: Getting To Know Yourself Beyond Illness - Part 3

It’s easy to lose ourselves in our various illnesses. So it’s important to be reminded from time to time that you are a person, not an illness. You have a personality, interests, likes, dislikes, opinions, obligations, and responsibilities. So every now and then I plan to provide some questions that are designed to help us get reacquainted with ourselves gradually. (You can see part one – for the external basics and part 2 for your food preferences and abilities.)

Keep in mind:

Periodically you may want to change your answers as you know yourself better or your tastes change. That is a good thing.

Remember that most of these questions have no right or wrong answer. This is just about getting to know yourself so that you can make better choices and understand why you do certain things. It is also good for helping us see the goon in us, not just the bad.

My Interests:

1. What am I interested in?

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2. What bores me?

3. What was my favorite subject (subjects) in school?

4. What would I like to learn more about now?

5. What are my top five favorite places?

6. Do I like to travel? If yes, where have I been?

7. Where would I like to travel in future?

8. How has illness affected my interests, hobbies, projects, pursuits, or travel?

9. What can I do differently in order to keep doing some of the things I am interested in?

Extra credit: You can use the information on this list to create your own Interesting Life Plan. Basically it is a plan of action to help you get the most out of your days, weeks, or years.

There will be a series of lists – some playful, light, or superficial, some a little more introspective but all along the lines of getting to know yourself again. I am also filling them out as we go on. I’m printing them out, writing the answers, and putting them in a binder. I think I’ll title it “Laina – The Book.”