Sunday, January 06, 2013

The greatest accomplishment of your life (Book of Questions)

I picked up this book when I was 16 and I've used it as an ice-breaker for every major phase in my life from getting to know my new co-workers, getting to know new friends and even my (at the time!) soon-to-be husband.  Now, let US get to know each other! Are you ready?

Question 33: What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? Is there anything you hope to do that is even better?

This question, I think, will always make me laugh.  When I was a teenager, and filling out job applications for the first time, I came across this question.  It was a job at a fast food joint, for god's sake, but still. They wanted to know what my greatest accomplishment in life was.

Well, what was I going to say?  I agonised about it for ages and then finally, what I wrote about was the fact that I came second in a county-wide free throwing shooting competition (this was in my basketball phase!).  Excuse me while I go howl with laughter.  That random memory pops up every now and again in my head and it still makes me happy.  Of all the things I could have written, that is what I chose.  Anyway.

I think that I have the same problem now that I had when I was 16 and jobless. There must be things that I've done in my life that I consider great, but it's a struggle to identify them.  ...I've been writing this post for nearly half an hour now and the thing that strikes me the most is that I've survived.  I've survived a not ideal childhood.  I've survived upheaval and uncertainty, I've survived depression and an eating disorder.  I've survived moving to another continent at a young age. 

I've adapted to this country well enough.  Along with N, I've bought a house, I've given birth to two amazing children.  Thinking about it, I think being a mother to my two boys will always ever be my greatest accomplishment in life.  I'm certainly not the best mother in the world, I'll never win any awards or recognition for what I do, but I try my best. 

But there's still so much that I want to do with my life.  I want to finish university. I want to help people.  I want to be proud of myself.  And that will come, in time. 

What is your greatest accomplishment in your life? I'd love to hear.

5 comments:

  1. This is such a lovely idea!

    I think my greatest accomplishment so far was proving my independence to my parents. At 16, I went out without telling my parents and got a job in a bookshop, a job I still love and then kind of slipped it into conversation one evening during dinner. My mother's first words after I told them was 'I didn't think you had it in you. I'm so proud'. Never forget.

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  2. Mine has to be deciding to head off to germany and become an au pair as a shy 18 year old who hadn't even met the family I would be living with for a year! I dont think anyone thought I would do it and now I am barely recognisible from that person.
    Oh and Hi by the way, I'm Emily been following your blog for a little while and finally decided to start my own after doing a bit of reviewing for chicklish! Lots of work to do on it but I think I'm going to enjoy :)

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    1. Hi Emily, lovely to meet you! and what a brave thing that you did, it sounds incredible.

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  3. hi i am new
    and i was wondering has any one read night school legacy. form i hav heard it is amazing,but i want to check out for myself.
    so great friend told me to ask here.

    so is it great or should i hate?

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HI! Thank you for leaving a comment, you've just become my new best friend :)