Thursday, March 18, 2010

Ten Things - Part Deux

Picking up from yesterday's post, the second half of the essay from March 16th asked the reader to record ten things she loves about her personality.  This part was infinitely easier! I may be in the early stages of learning to love my outer package, but I'm really pretty happy with the person I am on the inside.





Ten things I love about my personality:

1. Optimistic. I actually am an optimist at heart and I try to see the bright side of any thing or situation. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.  Every day I make a choice to see the JOY in my life. This skill is one that I've only developed in the last three or four years, but one I'm happy to make a part of daily living.    image source

2. Unique. There is really and truly only one of me. That makes me special, right?
                                                                                                          
3. Green. Yes, I am "green." Not as in E.T. and flying saucers, as in "earth friendly."  I do my part to help the planet. I recycle. I carry reusable grocery bags (much to the embarassment of my teen daughters). I pick up trash when I'm out on walks. We even bought "green" carpet for my craft room (made from corn, not petroleum products!). Because I care.   image source

4. Candid.  Also known as "honest", "blunt", and "tell it like it is." I don't sugar-coat and I try to be real whether it is in talking about myself, giving advice or opinions, or just helping a friend through a tough spot. Some people find that kind of frankness uncomfortable. My friends seem to appreciate it.

5. Intelligent.  My mama didn't raise no dummy. But along with the gift of intelligence, I am also a firm believer in life-long learning. I am the first to admit I do NOT know it all. I'm not afraid to ask questions. There is always more I can learn. And I love to learn. I love to read books, take online classes, constantly expand my knowledge base. Being a blogger in a blogisphere that transverses the globe has been an educational experience - I'm learning culture specific phrases, brands, meals, holidays, and more. Not quite like actual traveling, but in this economy, it's a nice second!

6. Organizational Skills. Although I often feel scatter-brained and would honestly forget my head were it not firmly attached to my shoulders, I really do have good organizational skills. They just get lost occasionally in the frenzied attempt to "do it all."

7. Loyal. With those for whom I am a true friend, my loyalty is boundless. Ask any of them. I'm one of those "move a body" type friends that Brene Brown discussed during the "I Thought It Was Just Me" read-along.

8. Strong Work Ethic. I am a person of my word. When I commit to something I do it. I think this was instilled in me throughout my childhood. My Mom always told me that I needed to be self-sufficient and never rely on a man to take care of me. Not that you can't have that, but you need your own skills to fall back on. It was a good life lesson.

9. Pay it Forward. I know that my life is blessed. And I believe strongly in sharing that and paying it forward. I not only contribute financially, but I volunteer my time and skills when the opportunity presents. I have sewn pillowcases for children with life-threatening illnesses, I walked in the Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3 Day (2008) and raised over $7000 towards finding a cure.  But these are minute compared to the blessings I enjoy on a daily basis. And the Weekly Gratitude project has really brought that home to me in a fun and soul-uplifting way. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it! I can hook you up to the website and free digital templates! Just ask!  image source

10. Creative. But you already know that. Honestly, I know that in my soul is an artist looking for any and every outlet I will grant her. My day job stifles creativity (but it pays the bills nicely) so I need the regular outlet of blogging, scrapbooking, sewing, creating, to set her free.   image source

How about you?  Since I know from yesterday's post that my bloggy friends are a tad shy, I won't ask you to list ten personality traits - just give me two or three of the best things about you - tell me why I should be grateful to have you as my bloggy friend! C'mon - here is your perfect chance to brag on yourself - I'm giving you permission - and I WANT to know! Please?

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Okay, so... It's not easy to brag on myself but since you give me permission, I'll give it a shot:

Personality traits I love about myself...

1) I'm loyal too. I had a brief interlude in my late teens where I wasn't loyal... it really was necessary... but it hurt my heart. Once you have me, I'll walk on broken glass if you need me.

2) Beyond loyal, I'm dependable to a fault. Even when I don't want to be, I will do what I promise to do. That said, it may not be on time... but it will get done.

3) I'm diverse when it comes to jobs. I have had a LOT of jobs in my life (I started working "under the table" when I was 13), from cleaning bars and houses to scooping ice cream, to fast food, to daycare, to office jobs, to... well you get the picture. This has given me a lot of learning experiences and resulting wisdom. I love this about myself.

4) I'm intelligent. This is one I've had to come to terms with as I have spent a lot of my life dumbing myself down or hiding things I know. I absorb things quickly and I never want to stop learning. But to some people in my life, this is irritating. I have to resolve this.

5) I'm accepting. While this is getting harder as I get older and crotchety, especially with "kids today"... I feel like I'm pretty open minded to a lot of lifestyles, beliefs and backgrounds. I won't say I never "reject" but it's usually based on the person as a whole, not just a lifestyle, belief or background.

Okay, stopping at 5 for now. Thanks for making me think of the good in me. It's been a rough day. I think I needed this.

Sian said...

What a great second half! I really enjoyed reading this one too.

Me? Mmm, I hope I'm kind and honest but apart from that I'm not sure. Oh, apart from creative. I am creative too.

scrappyjacky said...

Well....I do think I'm creative, sociable,friendly and dependable...hopefully some more as well...but not sure off the top of my head.
Really enjoyed this follow up post.

humel said...

This is such a great project, Cheri :-) Great attributes, too x

Me? I'm caring and generous, loyal and imaginative. I hope...

Jan C. said...

I like your list, Cheri. How many more things can you think of to add to it, I wonder?

Some things I like about my personality include:
1. I try always to be kind.
2. I am empathetic.
3. I'm loyal
4. I'm funny.
5. I'm open-minded.