Eat, Pray, Love Contest
December 19, 2007 by Tracee Sioux
Filed under Parenting
Focusing on what is right about yourself, versus what is wrong, is the mark of a healthy individual, states a sign at my old gym.
There are about 2 weeks left in 2007 and before you go making resolutions for 2008 (looking at what is wrong and what still needs changing), how about a little self-praise about 2007?
It’s been one of the Best Year Ever for me. Extra-ordinarily productive.
- I quit smoking with Chantix.
- I started writing again.
- I started So Sioux Me to inspire mothers to empower their daughters.
- I took over Blog Fabulous and tripled the page views.
- I helped literally thousands of smokers to quit smoking.
- I started Quit Coping to encourage even more smokers to be quitters.
- I learned to exercise and eat right, losing 30 pounds and 4 jeans sizes, not to mention conquering depression.
- I coached my daughter’s soccer team, successfully changing the name from Bratz to Happy Feet.
- Helped Ambrea, my mentee to go from academic failure to success. Encouraged her to use her gift as a singer to join the church and school choir.
- Started Between The Covers - a bookclub that soothes my soul.
- Bought our first home.
- Paid off all debt (excluding my student loan) w/Dave Ramsey’s plan.
- Took over the household bills and budget.
- Bought mini-van with cash.
- Worked to transform marriage.
- Learned The Secret and how to Attract what I want.
- Made some new friends, reunited with some old ones and been far less codependent in my relationships.
Now, it’s your turn. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Leave your self-praise in the comments and I’ll mail the hat-drawn winner my extra copy of Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Contest closes on Sunday at midnight. I’ll announce the winner Monday morning.
I became a yoga teacher, so the work is really the path at last. What a gift!
All of your wonderful accomplishments are making feel all warm and gushy inside. It’s making me more optimistic and hopeful about humanity in general and femininity as a whole.
Maderite: I suspect patting ourselves on the back is very difficult for most of us to do. Wouldn’t want anyone to think we’re conceited or too proud.
Remember that from Junior High? “You’re so conceited!” Pfwewy.
I’m so proud of ALL of you.
Exercised more.
Eat, Pray, Love is my favorite book of 2007. I was loaned the copy and would love to have a copy of my own to read to share with others and to read again and again.
Thank you for sharing your adventure and your experience.
I try to see the good in everything and everyone. It is easy for us to get boggled down and when that happens we tend to forget to treat others the way we want to be treated. I enjoy life more by smiling and sometimes you can make others smile too!
I cut back to a eight day pay period (for two weeks) so I have more time to do things I enjoy and have less stress.
I have worked very hard at my job as an elementary art teacher this year and have been successful.
1. I had an article published in School Arts–online edition.
2. My school’s gallery is ranked nationally in the top ten at Artsonia.com.
3. I won a grant to get multicultural resources for my classroom.
4. My 630 art students just made and wrapped gifts for their families.
I took a few days to sort, cull, winnow, toss and purge all my excess stuff.
Nothing new can come into a life that’s crowded with everything old.
I donated the good items to Goodwill.
I also started painting again and sold a few pieces of my artwork.
Every time someone likes my paintings enough to want to own one,
I get a huge feeling of pride.
I would feel like that more often if I made more time for painting.
In 2007 I found my passion, now in 2008 I have to find a way to follow my passion.
I finally graduated college, got a job I like, and joined the jym!
I am spending more time reading with my daughter. She is making amazing progress (she’s in kindergarten) and I hope she has a love for reading like I do as she gets older.
I started publishing an online newsletter for our local animal rescue. http://home.carolina.rr.com/scarlnews
Ive been going back to church
I have taken on raising 3 children that are not my own and one is a special needs child and the other is in therapy
I have not by my choice taken on psych nursing in the ER Dept. and have learned to advocate for mental health and now love it.
I have finally advocated enough to decrease my work hours at my other parttime job that was almost becoming full time
I was able to see a WWE wrestling match for the first time ever alive not on tv
I have made a new friend this year in another state and mail her almost monthly
I finally made the move from AZ to GA to be near my grandchildren.
I strived daily to have a better marriage.
I lived through a health crisis and surgery.
I gave lots of stuff to a women’s shelter when I moved.
I started crafting again after many years.
I lost 15 lbs!
I read twice as many books as I did last year.
I finally surrendered,admitted I was not superwoman and gave up my job to stay home and care for my ailing dad and my son who is ill. I am so glad I did
Found a deeper relationship with God
I have a more spiritual life, have cut my antidepressant meds in HALF, and am much happier
1) I learned not everyone is going to like me and I;m OK with that
2) I learned to take time for me and my family first and we are closer because of it.
I have lose 30 pounds only a few more to go
A great thing I did this year was find this web site. It is exciting, and I will be back even though I only came here today to enter the contest. I did read Eat, Pray, Love and enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert’s writing. I am 74 years old and still on a wonderful journey of discovery and approach each day with gratitude for another day of life. Many of the accomplishments and goals listed by others on this site will be some of my goals for 2008. I plan to make it my best year ever – living bigger and living smaller all at the same time.
Wow, you’ve had a fabulous year. I started the year with the goal of making a regular income online, I’ve accomplished that goal, yeah!
Tracee,
Great for you on all counts.
Me? I got a much better job and instead of being treated like disposable diapers I am now appreciated and told so on a regular basis. Plus, my writing skills get put to good use. This career move led to a much better apartment. And I am now in a relationship where we don’t fight and bicker and actually get along–something new for me.
Cheers to all!
I learned how to stop living in the past, make peace with my present and to accept that my future is going to be different than what I expected, but will still be OK.
I not only proved myself in a man’s industry – I exceeded every goal set by my boss.
I helped my sister wth her needs while she was on her death bed !
I completely changed my financial life. I had an epiphany and realized that I would never get out of my financial hole unless I stopped charging and buying things. I didn’t buy one thing outside of food/essentials for all of 2007 and I didn’t use any charge cards. Also, I managed to pay off the outstanding balances on 3 of my credit cards. It was a very, very difficult year but I look back now at my progress and feel completely grateful.
I was in an ATV accident in July and ended up with numerous serious injuries. I’ve worked hard in physical therapy and am now able to bend my fingers. I’ve shared lots of laughs and jokes with the therapists and this has made all the work easier. I know, deep inside, that one day I will be able to use my hand and arm again.
I found I’m calm just “being”.
No need for perfection or possession.
I am, and that’s enough.
My new year’s resolution for 2007 was to do more on my own. If there’s a party I wanted to go to, I wouldn’t go if I don’t have anyone to go with me. I got over that this year by going to a concert by myself. I would have never dreamed of doing something like that. Not only did I go alone, I had a blast and can’t wait to go to more concerts. I’m not going to miss anything anymore because I don’t have any friends to go with me.
I forgave and restored a relationship with someone who did me terribly wrong.
I had my youngest daughter(6th child) in March, kept up my job as a full time supervisor, went to school full time and passed, and still managed to spend alot of time with my other 5 children, their school, and the PTA. We’ve also moved into a 6 bedroom house on 8 acres and I’ve kept that up and running as well. I could really use a nap, but that will come when they put me in a retirement home.
I started writing.
Contest closed.
Thank you all for your lovely reflections. It made me feel so good that all of you tried so hard, experienced such self-reflection and were acknowledging of your own efforts.
The hat-drawn winner is . . . Alecia Gibson.
Read the winning announcement (and a tease for the next contest) here: http://www.blogfabulous.com/eat-pray-love-winner/
Definitely award worthy, check out a similar article at dailycents.com, the direct link to the article is http://blogs.dailycents.com/?p=782
Sheila Wanner is the new winner of Eat, Pray, Love. Sadly, Alecia never claimed her prize and I’m just dying to sent someone this book.
Sheila please comment here to say you accept your prize and I’ll email you privately for your mailing address.
Congratulations Sheila, you really accomplished a lot I can relate to!
Thank you so very much, I am so thrilled to have won !
Good morning. Your world is made of your memories, and your memories are given to you by your world. The whispering voice of happenstance is always in our ears. ‘This is the world. This is the way things are. Look. Pay attention. Remember.’
I am from Iceland and also am speaking English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: “Woman best articles home and family, beauty and cosmetics, fitness and how to french kiss.”
Thanks for the help
, Clementine.