Tuesday, January 18, 2011

159 suggestions for What I Should Do Next with my Life

The Final Act of Ellen Maling’s  Performance at Out North’s Under :30 showcase

Written by audience members
January 13-16, 2011


I just get up l put a smile on my face and go about my day.  It’s gotten me over so many speed bumps over the past 23 years.

Travel, live do what you want or dream about. Having a partner is a much overrated. Your life expectancy is limited as a diabetic. Go for your dreams only.

Become a nurse.  You can always get a job and if you don’t like it, you can always get another one.

Read “Letters to a Young Poet” by Rilke.  Don’t try to find a solution. Live the problem and transformation as a person.

Find a less expensive way to treat your diabetes and live your life.

As Warhol suggested, sneeze when you forget your lines.

Move to the best climate for you.  You can’t do much if you feel lousy. Secure a safe, comfortable secure abode. Prioritize your dream adventures.  Ask the Universe for guidance and ideas. Find a job you love with health benefits- screw the salary. Host a potluck get together of fun loving folks every two months or so. Volunteer—give give give your time.  And go on those adventures!  Good Luck!

Follow your bliss.

Write a book. Become a motivational speaker. Become a mushroom farmer.

Your life: how about VISTA?  It pays medical and gives you the freedom of a cool project.  Friend my son on Facebook once you accept my invitation.  He’s artistic, a filmmaker, under 50, never married and creative as God.  Maybe you’ll get to know him.

Climate Change Journalist. State of the World Forum 2010. Campaign [illegible]

SAME!!!! Breathe. Sit Still. Welcome what comes. I’m hoping for community too.

Write a sitcom.  Help me plan a lonely hearts club party. A wish fulfillment evening.

 I saw something in a movie that reminded me of something. It was having to do with miracles. That they happen when you stop wanting them to happen. Even though that sounds corny, I think that applies to your dilemma. Being 51 ½ all that stuff you’re talking about is on my mind too and it is a mystery. It’s good questions and embracing the unknown

Join a convent.

You remind me of me! I have no idea what I am going to do with myself either! So I hope to get comfortable with that and stop hating myself. You too, ok?

We can be very upset about something for no reason and we can also choose to be happy just as easily.  Do these words have any point. What is meaning of life? Find out how random the universe and the odds of existing. Then think about the point of asking for advice.  Consider carefully who you ask for advice. What could you do if you could do anything? Embrace your femininity and celebrate it with a masculine man. Realize the futility of life and how special you are.

Therapy is always good. Good luck Ellen. You were so brave. Choir? More acting and singing.

Dear,
I recommend moving to Western Oregon. Plenty of progressive folks, mild climate, reasonable cost of living, plenty of opportunity for cerebral unafraid people like you.  I’ll see you there in a couple of years.

I’m into the Peace Corps idea.  Perhaps in a tropical location where friends can visit.  Micro-loans? You would be a great administrator for a program. If not the PC, start your own! Keep rocking.

Ellen’s To Do list:
Propose to Barack your vision of a new way to live.  Stay in Alaska!  We need you here. Start a new version of Facebook0—objective, post ideas for you—others- develop a new model of living.

I suggest Wild Abadone [spelling, abandon?]

Everyday think as you wake up today, I am fortunate. I have a previous human life. I am going to savor it. I am going to use all my energies to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for all beings.  I am going to help others. I am not going to get angry or think badly about others.  His Holiness the Dali Lama:  Compassion, love and hope one day at a time.  A type 2 diabetic- Charles. 278-4961.

This is a collective suggestion to shine your light and eat lots of krispy calamari and splash in the waves and just live each moment.

Go abroad- experience another culture doing the same thing you’ve done in AK. Check out the Foreign Service.

You have a wonderful spirit! Ask your friends to introduce you to men. Make your home the meeting place for others and take a class. Pray!  Be Thankful. You are lovely.

Create a village in the city.

I think you really can’t plan anyway. It never works out like you thought it would.  Don’t be irresponsible but don’t stress too much. Remember to enjoy the now.

Keep building that nest egg girl! Might be a good idea to keep your grant job with health insurance and a look for the next gig in the meantime. Maybe sell your house or rent to build up the savings. Then fulfill your creative, zany side in little, daily ways. Now might not be the best time for a big life upheaval.

Feed the muse.  Let’s float a river. Canoe, packrat, kayak. Susan. 441-5664.

How about stretching your 10% in s country with a lower cost of living and helping an educational need in that country.

Become a traveling stripper!  Meet some interesting people although I hear it’s a bad idea to date them. Coordinate volunteers in a far off land(I sat next to a girl on the plane who did that for a while.) Learn to paint (if you don’t already) Start a blog. Write a book of poetry. Take a class or two?  Stay cool!!!!!!

Put one foot in front of the other and repeat. Listen to others fully you will hear some new and important things.  Take calculated risks and do something challenging and exciting. Germaine Greer= the struggle that is not joyful is the wrong struggle.

Ellen, keep on traveling. You improve every place you go.

Brush every day 100 strokes. Massage once a month. Go to Iceland.

Be exactly as you are!

Ellen, I was recently told that one cannot truly find their partner until they totally fall in love with themselves. It’s kind of great that you would always have the greatest support from yourself.  I’m also of the mind that community living is the way to go. I have lived at least 2 ecovillages that have supported themselves financially, nutritionally and with community counseling love and happiness.  I look to you as an inspiration as a younger female who might never find a life partner. I see you have grace and my heart and hope is with you.

Not to be mean, but it sounds like you are attempting to justify poor life choices and seen a sense of “oh well and now what.”  You should save your money, work hard and make sure you are not a burden on others on society.

Discover the balance by enjoying the moment.

You need to keep your home so you have a comfortable place to spend your retirement, at least as a home base, you could stil guide during the appropriate seasons.  Keep meditating and the answers will come. Keep making new friends and spending time with them so you won’t feel as lonely.

Ellen you are amazing. I think you have a future as an inspirational speaker- especially for young people with Type 1 Diabetes. Forget MTM, forget the Jonas brother and GO Ellen!  I don’t have Facebook so email me.

Dear Ellen,
You have a lot to give. And if is ok to take time to give to yourself. It is trite to say do what you love and love what you do.  In order to maintain a happy, free and healthy heart choose what you can be creative at- write, paint, organize, and then if the market is there, {illegible} it.  You remind me of a [illegible] that comes to my school and had a blast doing it. I would stay freewheeling and visit a feminist financial guru to maintain the finances and home.  God bless.

Start a nonprofit for artists to get affordable health insurance.  Loved your show. J

Try going to Costa Rica. There medical treatments are excellent and nearly free.  Many Americans retire there. You could maybe start a travel business by contacting old friends and arranging for their visit.  You might find a partner there. Guadalajara in Mexico is full of retirees and they run the place.

You have done more in the first half of your life than most people dream of doing!  Don’t stress about it!

Look for a Tier 1* mate who would appreciate your life style and interests.  * City or state employees with the best health insurance coverage.

Keep your sense of humor. Join a book club. Develop a good friendship, someone you could travel with. Decrease debt and live simply.

Start doing Kudalini Yoga here in town, then to the International Women’s Camp to discover what to do with your one wild and precious life.  Wonderful show.  Thank you.

Just Live!

You are beautiful.  Follow your heart, not your head! J

Nice job “working the crowd”. Host a show?

Honor the ties in your life and they will support you ultimately.

Fight like hell for Obamacare—and get to know Lisa Murkowski. Show her your pump.

Moving out of Sage’s place late July and looking for a place for family and 10 ½ year old dog. 575-7333

Sail around the world.

Run for office on a health care platform. Keep your house and family network. Follow Pati’s advice and outsource fortune-telling. Seriously, our health care situation is disheartening, so unequal and limiting.

Dear Ellen,
Australia is just the place for you!

Ellen,
You are fabulous! Hmm, what to do in your next chapter?  Open your own outdoor adventure business.- a combo hiking, rafting, handgliding or some such… keep your house no matter where you go J

11 in 2011.
Eleven fearless acts in 2011. (Doing Under 30 counts!) That enable you travel, health adventure and love you so deserve.  You are amazing, Ellen.

Stay true to your heart.

Consider Peace Corps of course, but also State Department and USAID. NGOs. [Illegible] International. Partners for the Americas. Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs. ACDI/VOCA. Land o’Lakes.

See a shrink!

Move to Grand Junction, Colorado.

Buy a ticket around the world and stop to volunteer in every country.

Run for office. Start a business/coop after you travel a bit.

Raise funds to provide diabetic (or other) care in a developing country.  You can satisfy your sense of adventure, your health needs and your compassionate nature. As for partnerships, let it happen as you pursue other passions.

Lots of people are somewhat challenged in getting around- you should start a travel business and get other people to help support your adventures while providing companionship and purpose.  Good luck, Carolyn.

Go to Palau and swim in Jellyfish Lake.

Take a certificate course for teaching English and go with me abroad! An adventure! Somewhere with cheap health care. Yes!  We can do this!

Keep it going.

Brave trainor

Call Doug Hill in Palmer (ADF&G) Help Peace Corps as a fundraiser and field inspector.

Chose Adventure!

Don’t quit your day job.

Unfortunately, your highest priority needs to be your health because you can’t explore any other options without your health being good. So do what you can do to get health insurance. I’m 53, separated, no savings, looking at a scary future. My biggest regret is selling/losing my house.  Consider yourself very lucky for owning a house and having a home. Do everything you can to hang on to it. Good luck.

Take a nice vacation to regroup.  Listen to your dreams.

You can’t have everything. Make a list of priorities.

We are not in charge.  Relax, let it happen. Roll with the punches; take advantage of the opportunities when presented.  Accept doing something less or below what you want to get yourself in the door to find other opportunities. You sometimes can’t see them until you are inside.

You sound pretty normal to me. Keep on trucking, keep open and be happy with what you have. You are alive!

Think about the hardest thing in your life. The biggest problem and just laugh about it.  Picture it in your mind and laugh about the absurdity!

Whatever your MBA is in, consult.

Roll with it. Just let it happen!  It isn’t what you do.  It’s how you do it.

Live!!!

Flight attendant. Animal Rescue

I relate so much to your ambivalences, I couldn’t possibly offer advice!  My own ambivalence prevents this.

Quote Mary Oliver on street corners with musical accompaniment.

Do what feels right to you

Every day, decide one thing that you can do that will make you happy that day.  J

Love life

Take a 2 ½ week trip to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Embrace randomness go/do without known steps or time ends

Get involved in the bush Alaska diabetes epidemic- prevention I mean.

Hello Ellen,
I suggest an ancient vedi remedy. Agriholderf yow practice at sunrise and sunset. Call me and we can do it together. It relieves stress and promotes health.  [No number!  Bummer!]

Write a book! Try Dog mushing? Maybe. Start a dog team.

Group seminars for short people and outdoor women to improve their self image

Become a certified Diabets educator and itinerant

I’m a traveler too. Full of homesickness and wanderlust.  I don’t like Alaska at all. I’ve been here for `16 years and wish I could travel.  Splitting in half may be the way we live- its not so bad.

Do the things that make you feel better. [Illegible] on consciousness collective to make the world a better place.  I have no idea except spending time each day doing work you enjoy and sending those ideas out into the universe. Enjoy making creations to keep you company and imagine.

If you stay, you’ll always wonder.  If you fly, you’ll know.

There is probably a book in your life story of wondering.  Tell it.

Something you’re not thought about and totally unnecessary like maybe take a math class.  What’s Facebook?

Buddhists say we are always looking for fulfillment in the wrong places—that it is not to be found in external situations, only internal realizations. Also that service to others is the key to happiness. In that vein, I would say that if you’re current situation doesn’t sit, change it. Do what you love to do. I like what you said at the end about revisioning—creating a great world for our children.  I’ve a new book about women and women’s rights which has really impressed me “Half the Sky”. Good Luck!

Let go and let God. And then start your own business.

When you think about your life up to know, think about the things you’ve enjoyed the most. Not to repeat the things themselves but to think what about them you enjoyed.  Maybe that will suggest some thing. But you know probably know this.  Don’t let anyone else tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. But having coffee with them is always good.

Eharmony.  Hypnosis. Crank back up the consulting firm with 1 or 2 likeminded partners who can carry on or without you for month long vacations in the sun.  Buy me coffee and let me listen to you envision your perfect life.

Form a support group with other men and women who want to live outside the box. Come join our singing group

Rent your house, put all in storage and have a hug garage sale. Move to a socialist country where you can get healthcare= perhaps New Zealand.  Continue to do good deed with nonprofits, caring for others and all will reveal itself.

Keep your home and rent out the two bedrooms.  Travel as a one woman show, consulting business on the side and cobra your insurance!  Love the Show!

Good luck.  I think it is probably too late for you to move to Canada. Wish I had a great idea for you and I’m sure it's a comfort to know that that are millions of boomers in the same situation.

If you want to live a long time, stay put.  If you don’t care how long you live, go go go.

I am going to work on reimagining The Dream. I think you should too. This isn’t an answer but might lead you to one.  Good luck.

Make a leap in to a business entrepreneurial project—use capitalism for 5 years to your advantage and then join an NGO in the country of your biggest draw.

Start your own business as life coach with emphasis on the outdoors using your guiding and travel experience.

Ellen you are amazing.  I don’t know what you should to yet,J but I can tell you that you have my friendship and my love.  Here’s my number.

Write a book with these suggestions. Become a best seller. Go viral.

You should lose weight, especially with Diabetes. Your possibilities will vastly improve. The prejudices against fat people are worse than those for short people.

Get a cat. Go back to guiding. Organize a book club. Plan a trip.

Keep floating and have faith you will land.

Facilitate world peace. Be a standup comedian. Weight watchers.

Join a traveling show of some sort doing this one act and write a book!  Get a Dog! Start a new and improved program with me!  Loved you.

I love your pants. They look sexy!

What I did was hold down the 95 while working my own business nights and weekends. It allowed to enjoy traveling for the last ten years. Been retired over 5 years.  Good luck!

“One beautiful life” As you said, take the risk to live and experience more!

Just live in the moment. Each day as it comes.

Keep the faith. Keep performing. Do more yoga. Don’t stop on the search for the awesome outdoorsy progressive man!

Let me guess, You made $5000 at Alaska Wildland Adventures.  Great job for a younger person, eh?

Fabulous journey.  Travel, learn a new language, learn to play an instrument, keep the faith, love others, have hope.  And, I am a therapist J  440-0524 (for real)

Find an intentional community to live in and keep being yourself.  You are beautiful!

Learn 3 new languages you can meet new people that way!

Volunteer abroad!

Out North in 2011 where shall I go who shall I be I must find peace I must see the future but the present is pulling me under I’m going to fly away believe in me

Love without any expectation of a reward

Give yourself to others

I’ve spend a good chunk of the past several years worrying about what I should do about a career.  I kept trying to find the perfect match of a career.  After awhile I realized that I don’t believe in the idea of relationship soulmates. I think its destructive—I was looking for a “soulmate” job.  I gave myself permission not to know what I wanted to do and stop frantically searching for the perfect match.  I had an idea a few months ago for a career choice to make, but I’m willing to take time to see if works out and feels right before I commit myself. So my advice is to take time, breathe, and allow yourself not to know what you want. Maybe something will come to you, or maybe not. But if you give yourself permission not to have the answer it may help you live in the moment.  Nothing ever comes when forced, anyway.  Good Luck!

Consider become a gay and adopt a child. Believe in miracles J

Loved your performance. Email me.

Take an academic job with summers off. Doesn’t have to be academics, just school.

Consider your collective route—only way to put together the resources (human) to turn.

Work heeling special education children in the schools

Go to Italy

Become a local reality TV show producer

I’m not sure what the answer is. But if you figure it out please pass it along. Thanx.

Ok my dear, DO THIS: 1. Move to France. Where health care is great and you don’t need health insurance because health care is affordable.  Get a fun job in the outdoor industry.  Charm all those French men who will go crazy for you because you are American.  I will join you.

Rob a bank

Cogito Ergo Sunt

Enjoy the day. Cross country ski. Garden start plants. Hike So thankful for work. Volunteer. Enjoy the moment. Thanks

Follow your heart, money will follow

Were you told as a kid that you could do anything?  I was. And I think you & took it to mean should have everything” I have an eclectic background too. It’s hard to know what things to keep steady in life and what things should indulge a need for a change.  For myself, I like to acquire new skills and work at things I’m not practiced at. That’s what drives the change. Best wishes on the difficult path.

There are a lot of travel jobs with benefits.  Sterling Medical and health net. 6 week assignments and then home for a bit.

I agree with the performance track. You need a youtube channel and get this stuff on video. Then the movie!!!

Money (house,pension, etc) is just energy in the form of paper. Go where your energy leads you. Follow your vision and stay out of boxes of “success” “happiness” created by others not you.

2012 is for finding elvis. You can look ahead or behind, if he’s dead or not, you decide.

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