#Reverb10: Prompt 11, the blog-along - The Final Update

Here it is December 31 and time for the final update on the #Reverb10 prompt blog-along with  MathNerd314 and chemgal18. Thank you ladies for sharing the journey this past year. I've appreciated knowing I needed to get things wrapped up each month even if I wanted to hid under a rock.

Here is the prompt for those who may have missed the first post:
What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011?
How will you go about eliminating them?
How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

1) 35 pounds, 2) excess stuff, 3) a house, 4)money stress, 5)stress, 6) second guessing decisions, 7) procrastination 8) loneliness, 9)single discontent, 10)over-analyzing work situations and 11)lack of traveling.

As I look over my list, I realize that it was a bit egocentric of me to think I could rid my life of all of these things. Yet, it was good to work towards eliminating each of the items because it forced me to think differently about them. Some items were moved to the completed/no longer applicable list and others I have made no progress - in fact on one item I'm worse off today than I was at the beginning of the year. The only one that is truly complete is the last one - lack of traveling. I've been able to visit friends and relatives several times this year and it has been great fun to see each one of them.

Each item on the list represents something I dislike about myself and my life yet represents what I need to accept about myself. And that is my big take away: accepting myself means the allowing to uglies to shine forth as well as the pretties. Instead of hiding the difficult parts of my life, per my natural inclinations, I need to be willing to open my heart and my life.

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and hope that 2012 will bring great joy and laughter to your lives.