In order to fully participate in NaBloPoMo, I decided to check out some of the blogs of other participants. There’s a huge list on BlogHer.com. All the blogs you could ever want to read! I found some good ones and some that didn’t really impress me. I do have to say, that I think as far as design goes, simplistic though it may be, my blog actually looks pretty good compared to a lot of others that I found. Anyway, I digress.
Reading other blogs was a good thing to do because not only did it give me a chance to see what others were blogging about, it gave me ideas for my own blog along with a chance to leave comments and interact with other bloggers (and provoke them to visit my blog, it seems… I’ve seen comments from some new people in the last couple of days). One idea that I got was from Carla at A Life Without Borders. She had recently blogged about gratitude and had a follow up post about being grateful for your own accomplishments, along with a list of hers. Now, on one hand, this might seem like bragging. And well, I guess you could look at it that way. But honestly, for me… I tend to beat myself up a lot. I’ve struggled for a long time with not feeling good enough in various areas of my life. So while I’m posting this on my blog, I’m mostly writing it for myself, to remind me that I have accomplished a lot in my life. And I’m grateful for that. So here goes… in no particular order…
1. I earned my bachelors degree, and since then, have advanced my career and held three successful, long-term jobs at reputable companies.
2. I left most of my family and friends behind and moved across the country with my boyfriend.
3. I went back to school and earned my MBA.
4. I learned to love craft beer and become somewhat knowledgeable about it (enough that other friends come to me with their beer questions).
5. I took a train halfway across the country by myself (from Chicago to Seattle).
6. I got my nose pierced. (And then later let it grow back.)
7. I have visited 12+ countries (the + is for Germany, where I was only in the airport and Vatican City, which is technically another country).
8. I have walked on the Great Wall of China, been up in the Eiffel Tower, and seen the inside of the Sistine Chapel.
9. I’ve climbed Diamondhead Crater in Hawaii.
10. I successfully asked for and obtained phone numbers from 20 different guys in one night.
11. I allowed myself to question my faith and came out a better person for it.
12. I played poker in Vegas.
13. I snorkeled in Aruba (for someone who can’t swim, this is quite an accomplishment, IMO).
14. I brewed my own beer.
15. I graduated from high school when I was 16.
16. I read all of the Harry Potter books in a month.
17. I have created several of my own pretty awesome Halloween costumes, including Willy Wonka, Princess Leia, and Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd.
18. I learned how to use chopsticks in China.
19. I bought a convertible.
20. I survived the loss of a parent.
21. I adopted and care for two wonderful, beloved shelter dogs.
22. I’ve been a blogger for… quite a few years now, and maintain a blog that I’m proud of!
Some of these may seem silly, and some of them may not seem like major accomplishments to you, but pretty much all of them have been important to me in some way or another. What about you? What would be on your “Yeah, I Did That” list?
Life is a series of experiences. Some of mine include walking along the Great Wall of China, drinking craft beer in Belgium, playing poker in Vegas, reading novels at home, or just relaxing with my husband and lovable dog. This website is your invitation to join me as I take on the planet one experience at a time and blog about it for your enjoyment!
I love your list! It’s not bragging at all. You know we all have that voice inside our heads that tells us (sometimes constantly) what we are doing wrong. We need to have the voice tell us what we have done right. You and I talking about our accomplishments paves the way for others to be brave and say “Yeah, I Did That. Can you believe it?” Thanks Sheryl for the mention. By the way, I want to do #8,#9, #18,#19.I would be very interested in #10 but think my husband would object!!
Thanks for the comment, Carla! And yes, I agree with you. Sometimes it is nice to focus on the things we’ve accomplished just as a reminder. And thanks for your post, I’m glad I found it! #10 was part of a sort of dare/challenge for me. It was both fun and scary at the same time! 🙂