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Monday, September 10, 2012

30 by 30 progress: getting shit done & learning shit too.

a good amount of time has passed since i set out  to complete my 30 by 30 list, and i'm stoked to say i have crossed over a third of the items off that baby! writing with the intention to accomplish, as well as having it written out and documented, is the best way for me to achieve the things i chose as important. getting to cross off each item as i go, and have the photos and posts to look back on makes the process even more rewarding, apparently this is the way i get shit done, and i'm more than ok with that. if you are the same kind of person, i would encourage you to sit down and make your own list. it's incredible to see what a little creativity and a lot of dreamin' can do.
having the list in the back of my mind keeps me motivated and focused. it has also brought me closer to my family and friends, and has helped me to create some special memories -- it's moments like making sugo and meatballs in my nonna's kitchen with her, spending a day with my dad doing something that makes him happiest and taking advantage of a perfect summer day with a very good friend. even the simple things like getting out of my comfort zone and becoming more organized have changed me in some way. throughout the process of sharing the list (and myself) as an online journal/keepsake, i have learned more than i expected to: about myself, about growing up, but maybe most of all, about the perceptions of those who read along -- mostly good, occasionally bad, and sometimes somewhere in between. 

i have come to know that i am a head-in-the-clouds, happy in my own little world kind of girl. i don't assume the negative in most anything and am ignorant of it even when it's right in front of me. basically, unless someone is being blatantly mean, i probably wouldn't notice it. learning this of myself was kind of surprising -- it's me transitioning from my youth to adulthood and accepting that life is not always sunshine and lollipops shining out of everyone's asses. does this mean i am going to stop being the girl i am? not a fucking chance. but i am trying to develop a tougher skin, and am learning to become less emotional about things that aren't in my control -- things people say, the way someone feels, and the fact that i have no control over any of it. not everyone feels the way i do, and that's ok.
for the very few times things haven't been peachy, there are plenty of times they have been overwhelming warm. i have formed friendships with girls across the planet, from as far west as the canadian prairies, to the east coast of the united states over to africa and all the way to australia -- these are good people who share a common interest and the same love of documenting life and the beauty in it. they are people i never would have had the joy of knowing, had i not stepped into this world and put myself out there. that alone has been worth the journey.

but maybe most of all, i have come to appreciate the beauty of having a positive, creative outlet. a place and space outside my 9-5, where i can be me. where i can learn, be inspired, share and grow. where i can express my thoughts and feelings without having to worry about opinions or judgment -- and for the times when that is the case, choosing to learn from it and moving forward. this is the place i come to share my happy life, without feeling guilty for having that, where i get to celebrate that i am blessed to have what i do and am choosing to live it out the best way i can. regardless of how that's perceived.

this fall and winter i plan to cross off a few of the cozier items on the list: learn to crochet, make a photobook of our honeymoon, read the 'the great gatsby' and have my mom teach me her homemade chicken noodle soup recipe. oh, and not get pregnant. 
canadian winters can get reaaaal cold. 

5 comments:

  1. I love this post, Amanda. and I am so with you on the power of writing things down. I have never been a list maker by nature, but I see the results on the odd occasion I chose to make myself take note of what really needs doing. A Beautiful Mess has invited people to post 4 simple goals before 2013, and I'm taking the cue to push myself and take pen to paper (erm, or keyboard to internet? Are those equal?) and see where it gets me.

    And heck yeah to putting ourselves out there. if the internet isn't for communicating, what good is it anyway? The blogging community takes the pesky need of proximity out of the equation for new friendships, and it's a wonderful thing.

    --Erin
    predictionspast.blospot.ca

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  2. Erin!

    It's the way to do it sister friend! I know how hard it is to keep everything in life prioritized and organized, so to be able to remember the little things, can make all the difference. I saw that! Go for it girly, I think it's good for you :)

    I agree...it's one of the constants in my life, and such a positive inspiration to my everyday.

    Thanks for reading along and sharing.

    Amanda
    xo

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  3. I also love having a space to share everything that is going on in my life, including my 30 by 30. I think you're a little better at your writing then me but I am definitely trying. And I think I'm getting better, which is a perk of having my blog.
    I have loved following your progress! I think I want to change some of the things on my list, which I think is ok. Just a learning process I guess. :)
    Keep at it!!

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    Replies
    1. Keep it up sweet cheeks! You're getting better ever day, you have no choice. The more you do it, the more comfortable it feels and the more "you" comes out in your writing. It's like meditation, it's good for you.

      Thank ya :) You go for it -- life's too short to not change shit around when you have the power too, DO IT!

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  4. Oh my! Haven't tought of that list it seems like a neat idea since and a serial writer downer!!! I love when I find something I wrote years ago and it shows me how much I've grown, changed and moved. It's really awesome keep it up Amanda!!

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thanks for taking the time to leave me a wee note! kindly leave your name so i know who you are & can send some lovin' back at ya.

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