THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS
Cut and paste the questions that appeal you into your own document or highlight the questions you want to attack. Answer what you will, it is up to you how in depth or honest you want to be...
1. Who are you sharing this with i.e. grandchildren? Community?
2. How did you get your nickname?
3. What was the recurring theme in your family?
4. What were the historical events in your family life and how did it impact you?
5. Describe your family spirit?
6. What were the highlights of your childhood?? Adulthood? Grandhood?
7. What were the values that were important to you? Did they change over the years?
8. What influenced your life most dramatically?
9. Any great traveling adventures, family trips?
10. Where was your family from? Who are you? And how did this play into your lives?
11. What was the hardest thing you had to confront in your life?
12. Who was the most inspirational person in your life and why?
13. What was the biggest turning point in your family's life? Marriage, death, birth, job?
14. Describe your life and times growing up?
15. Describe your character and the character of those around you?
16. What significant world events occurred in your lifetime and how did it affect your family?
17. What was your saddest moment in your life?...the happiest?
18. What is the most important thing you have learned about life? What message would you like to leave to your family? To the world?
19. Talk about your family pets?
20. Any famous/infamous people in your family what did they do?
21. If you could do anything different what would it be?
22. What has brought you the most satisfaction?
23. What is the legacy of your family to the world? How did you contribute to making the world a better place?
24. Was there a special way your family communicated with each other or didn't?
25. Describe the character of each family member and what are there gifts i.e. an artist, communicator, skill with people, a great cook, supportive person, integrity, trust,
26. Any sibling rivalry? Who, what, when where?
27. What do you hope the future holds for you and your family? What is your dream?
28. Family recipes, favorite meal.
29. What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you or another family member?
30. What were the battles waged, and were they won or lost? Are they still raging?
31. Proudest moment?
32. Dreams that made it, dreams that did not. Why?
33. Who is the eccentric in your family? Describe.
34. Who the straight person and who is the comedienne?
35. What the meanest trick someone played on you?
36. What was the funniest trick ever played on you?
37. What was your most embarrassing moment?
38. Best family vacation and/or the vacation from hell.
39. What is your religious belief?
40. What was your most monumental achievement?
41. What is your idea of God and how God enters our lives?
42. Politics - Democrats, Republicans, Green or Libertarian and why?
43. Who shirks from strong conversation or relishes in it?
44. How heated do your conversation get in the political arena? Who is always right?
45. Who has the biggest ego in your family?
46. Who has the smallest ego and should not?
47. Who get the least credit and does the most work?
48. Who was the cutest baby?
49. Who was the most talented?
50. What and when was your most life changing moment?
51. Who was the unexpected blossomer?
52. What were you forced to eat growing up? How did you get around it? Have you gotten over it?
53. Who did the punishing and how?
54. What do you miss the most?
55. What was the most significant thing that has ever happened to you?
56. What was your best year/ decade?
57. New Year's resolution you kept and New Years resolutions you did not and did not and did not.
58. What road in life did you refuse? What was the road taken?
59. Family Secrets?
60. Hereditary traits
61. How many children are in your family?
62. Family habits, etiquette? Were there any?
63. Sports? Individual or family sports? Did you watch it or do it? Did you play fair?
64. Who was the biggest whiner?
65. Who was the best dresser, best looking?
66. What do you love the most about your family?
67. What was the kindest thing anyone ever did for you? You did for others?
68. What is the most interesting thing about your family?
69. What was a remarkable invention that came out in your lifetime and how did it impact your lives?
70. Fear??? What were the issues? Was it allowed, did anyone admit having them?
71. Mistakes?? Were they allowed? Did anyone admit making them?
72. How was love expressed or denied in your family?
73. Handicaps, Illnesses? Overcome or overwhelmed?
74. Tragedies? How did you survive?
75. What is the most important life ingredient to you?
76. The biggest coincidence or synchronicity, destiny path story.
77. What were your family hurdles?
78. What is your family heritage or legacy? How did your parents meet? How did you meet your loved one?
79. Who was the biggest fabricator of the truth? Who told the biggest stretchers?
80. What is the best -the one that got away- story?
81. Who had the best gossip? Who was the best one to gossip about?
82. Who married the longest the shortest, the most?
83. Who did not get married and why?
84. Who was the most giving or the stingiest?
85. Who told the best stories or jokes? What was their best joke? Who got the most courtesy laughs?
86. Who was the brightest, quickest, and sharpest?
87. Were there any especially creative or artistic people in your family?
88. Who made the most money, how did they make it and what did they do with it?
89. Who had the most patience in your family or the least?
90. What is your favorite memory of your youth, of your family?
91. What movie or movie personality influenced your lives?
92. Any favorite quotes, comments, message, summary?
93. Who were the spiritual entities in your lives and what did they teach you?
94. Who inherited what traits and character from whom; describe.
95. Who were your best friend(s)…or enemies…what became of them?
96. Describe yourself: physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
97. What was your parents’ age when you were born?
98. What were you like as a child?
99. Who in your family do you look like?
100. Who do you take after?
101. What is your best feature?
102. Did you and do you have self confidence?
103. Anything unusual about your birth?
104. Were you spoiled? A goody-goody or a rascal?
105. What did you aspire to be when you grew up? What was the outcome?
106. Were you ambitious early?
107. What kind of hairstyles did you have? Clothing?
108. What upset your parents about you?
109. Who did you feel close to in your life?
110. Any particular pets?
111. Were you a book worm?
112. What were/are your favorite activities?
113. Do you consider yourself a survivor?
114. What was your education?
115. Did you have love and respect in your family? Who did everyone look up to?
116: Who could you depend on?
117. Who was the most colorful character in your family?
118. Was everyone accepted by the rest of the family?
119. Have you kept in contact?
120. Anyone who fell from grace?
121. Bad egg turn to good?
122. Anyone famous?...infamous?
123. Family expressions?
124. Bedtime stories? Humorous family stories?
125. What was your neighborhood like and who did you hang out with? Any bullies?
126. Did you or anyone in your family have war experiences?
127. What were your dating experiences?
128. Did you marry your sweetheart?
129. Marriage aftermath…did you grow, are you bitter?
130. Relationship choices….good ones, bad ones?
131. Do you know how to be happy?
132. Is truth a strong family value…or stretching it?
133. How did you meet your partner?
134. What place is home for you?
135. Most memorable birthday?
136. Political views & involvements?
137. Any special thanks?
ADD MORE:
ABOUT YOUCOMPLETE THE SENTENCES:
1. I believe myself to be:
2. One of the main things I want to do is:3. When I am alone:
4. In our family:5. I am bothered by:6. Security is:
7. Money is:
8. My childhood:
9. I particularly look forward to:
10. What most disturbs me when I am working:
11. I could be my bottom dollar that:
12. The happiest time of my life:
13. One of the most important things in my life:
14. What really annoys me:
15? What gives me real pleasure is:
16. The meaning of life is:
MARRIED COUPLES
(The spirit is spontaneous, fun and loving.)
1. The first thing that came to mind when I first met _________ was:
2. Our life together has been:
3. The funniest thing that _________ has ever done is:
4. __________ as an individual is; __________ as a mother/father is: __________ as a husband/wife is:
5. The most important ingredient of a successful marriage is:
6. I want my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to know that love is:
7. The most important gift _________ has given to me is:
8. I hope our legacy will be:
9. We have kept our marriage alive and vital by:
10. I think many marriages fail today because:
11. The most beautiful thing about ______________ is:
12. The scariest thing about _____________ is: (can be humorous)
13. Our biggest challenge together has been:
14. My Wedding Anniversary toast to ____________ is:
1. I believe myself to be:
2. One of the main things I want to do is: