I have this fun little book that has all these silly, goofy, serious, and fabulous prompts throughout it. It's meant to be a work-in-progress, interactive book of reflection. The idea is to mark up the pages, doodle, write, scribble, tear, glue, paste, create, and make a fun, reflective mess. It's also a place to vent, to let it all out, and put down in ink the crap you've been carrying around on a particular day day/your whole life. It's quite cathartic as you can imagine.
One of the prompts was about making a list (oh how I LOVE me some lists ~ and this book has plenty of prompts with lists, swoon) of ten things you've accomplished in life so far. It's meant as a way to step back and honor some righteous things you've done or faced in your life. Or to celebrate the silly things you loved doing. Or serious wins you've had in life. Or major fears you've overcome. The list was meant to be whatever you wanted it to be to recognize your badass self.
I had so much fun with this list ~ and was quite proud of some of the things I've managed to do in my life ~ that I wanted to list 100 things I've done. I wanted my list to reflect the many risks I've taken over the years that took me out of my comfort zone, that went against what was expected of me, and that challenged the status quo in some way.
Now, let's be clear, I'm a serious introvert and a people pleaser to boot. So overcoming those two things had to happen along the way, it hasn't always been easy. I've never run off to sail across the oceans on a Greenpeace ship or chained myself to a tree or been arrested for taking a stand against something. The risks I've taken have been less activist-oriented and more personal. But I've surprised myself over and over by the things I set out do to and managed to accomplish ~ even when ~ ESPECIALLY when ~ they didn't go as planned or didn't work out as I thought they would.
It's a mystery in some ways, that my quiet, I-just-want-to-blend-in-behind-the-scenes personality of when I was younger actually got my butt out there into the world to try some really fun stuff (unless you're into astrology ~ which I am ~ and you can see it all there in my natal chart, but I digress.)
Now, if this were all neat and tidy, I'd have those 100 things ready and done, to share with you, but at this point, I only have 95 things on my list (I know, it's still a lot). And? This being only my 5th blog post since I began this series, I have no idea what I'm going to write about until I sit down to write. That may change. But right now? I didn't realize I'd be writing about this list today and wouldn't it have been cool to have it "done." But that's not life, is it? Never as neat and tidy as it is in the movies (or wherever). It's also not the point!
The way I see it, I have time for WAY more than 100 kickass* things to do in my life, knock wood, but I've never set out to do things just for the sake of doing them. It may take 12 years to do those last 5 things, or they could all happen in a week. Who knows. I'm not in a hurry though, is what I'm trying to say. And the things on my list? Same principle, I didn't try to drum up extra things to make my list reach 100, I was very critical and picky about what went on that list.
So back to the point of why I'm telling you about this list, it's very rewarding to look at your life from that one-step-back perspective and pat yourself on the back for what you've done. It's a chance to celebrate you! The best part? YOU get to decide what kind of accomplishments you want to list. If you're someone that has had way more than your fair share of crappy life doozies heaped upon you, hell yes put getting up every day and facing the world on your list. Because? Huzzah to You! Way to go! This list is about you, celebrating you.
Okay, enough pep talk positivity. Lol.
Here are some random things from my list that I'm proud of ~ and to be honest ~ amazed ~ that I've done, in no particular order:
created a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
moved to Tokyo to live and work
saw a punk rock band in Mexico
birthed a human
learned to salsa dance
was an art model for figure drawing classes (yes, naked)
gave a speech in front of a room full of people
waited tables (remember, serious introvert)
tried magic mushrooms
spoke Czech well enough for one brief moment that the Czech taxi drive was convinced I was a Polish exchange student (Polish and Czech are quite similar)
traveled solo in a variety of foreign countries
was a DJ on a college radio station for a semester
quit my job of 21 years to start a whole new work life
Okay, your turn. What are you proud of? What's on your list?
*Side note: this is definitely not a Bucket List ~ these are not "experiences I'd like to accomplish some day and check off my list" kind of things, no, that's a different concept. These things on this list were never things I "set out to do in my life before I die," ... that's a different exercise.
Never miss a post!
Did you know you can subscribe to my blog? Â
I promised when I set up this new artistic life of mine that I wouldn't flood your inboxes. But if you'd like, you can receive the latest blog post ~ every Monday ~ directly to your inbox. This is separate from my Newsletter, which goes out only once a month.
Click below to subscribe to the blog.
Find out about all my events HERE!
Commentaires