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The Five-Person Question That Became Twenty-Six

I have always loved random icebreaker questions like:

  • What is your favorite holiday?
  • If you were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one object you would want to have?

As someone who is pretty much an open book and tends to wear her heart on her sleeve, I've always enjoyed exploring what makes me tick and what really matters in life. I'm fascinated by the things that shape us, motivate us, and make us who we are.

That's why one question has always intrigued me, even though it consistently trips me up:

Aside from family members, If you could invite any five people, dead or alive, real or fictional, to a dinner party, who would they be?

It seems like such a simple question, but the more I think about it, the more it reveals about our values, our curiosities, and the people who have inspired us. Are you drawn to wisdom, creativity, innovation, humor, kindness, adventure, or something else entirely?

For me, narrowing it down to just five might be the hardest part.

Here are my top 26 - all representing an aspect in life I think is super important.  Kindness, Wisdom, Creativity, Curiosity/ Innovation, Joy/ Humor, and Adventure/ Courage.  

  1. Jesus
  2. Mister Fred Rogers
  3. Dr. Maya Angelou
  4. Vincent Van Gogh
  5. Leonardo da Vinci
  6. Sherlock Holmes
  7. Dolly Parton
  8. Princess Diana
  9. Corrie ten Boom
  10. Keanu Reeves
  11. Betty White
  12. Wonder Woman
  13. Anne Shirley
  14. Bono
  15. The 10th Doctor
  16. Robin Williams
  17. Brené Brown
  18. Mr. Snuffleupagus
  19. Mary Poppins
  20. Julia Child
  21. Amelia Earhart
  22. Jane Austen
  23. Anne Frank
  24. Jim Henson
  25. Johnny Cash
  26. C.S. Lewis

As different as these people are, they all have one thing in common: they've made the world a little brighter. Some changed history. Some changed hearts. Some exist only in stories. Yet each one reminds me of a quality that matters deeply to me and helps shape the person I want to be.

Maybe that's why I love questions like this. They're never really about the answer. They're about discovering what we value, what inspires us, and what kind of legacy we hope to leave behind.

And now I'd love to know: who are the five (or 26) people you'd invite to dinner, and what does that choice say about you?



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