20 THE SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGER AWARD

I have been blessed with the “Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award.

Thank you Fredilia of Uniquely Different with Fredilia  I humbly accept the honour.

As per the rule of acceptance (please see 1-5 below)

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and place a link back to their site P
2. Put the “Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award” on your blog P
3. Answer their ten questions P
4. Make up 10 new questions for your nominees P
5. Nominate 10 bloggers P

I have completed my tasks (above and below) and now I pass the challenge unto my 10 nominees.

Uniquely Different with Fredilia  question to me: "Tell us about a part of you that you struggled with (e.g. a habit, nose, shape, leg) and how you overcame the fear."

The part of me that I struggled with the most was ownership of my own accomplishments of recognizing the value in the things I do. Allow me to shed a bit of light for the sake of clarity. I grew up for the most part in a very negative household where you would quicker hear about the things you failed at or didn’t do well than the things you excelled at or did well. Negative criticism was the daily diet; it was the “norm” of communication, action, behavior, ethos so it was only a matter of course that I internalize that and had it saturate my thinking and being. Hence I could not see, was unable to recognize the things I did well or accomplished. I could not speak to it, or give it value . I never saw them as anything other than doing what is necessary to being, nothing extraordinary, just necessary.

It wasn’t until years later when I was tasked with listing the things I did well, my accomplishments that I realized that I was taught by virtue of how I lived/grew up how not to know my worth, to place value in the things I could do. I argued fiercely with the person charged with accessing the information from me as she rapidly fired questions at me that resulted in 2 full pages each filled front and back of tasks that I can do, did, and accomplished. She looked at me triumphantly and asked, how can you say you know nothing, that you can do nothing, that you have no skills and we have two full pages back and front and we going on to a third and we are not close to even finishing yet. I was astonished. I sat there looking at her, looking back at the papers filled with things that I can do, have done, from top to bottom back to front and took a deep breath. I looked at her again. I was unable to speak but inside me I was jumping up and down, I was shouting, laughing, crying, thinking wow, that’s me, that’s me! I can do all those things. I never saw those things even though I did it all. I could not give value to what I did well. I took it all for granted. It was an invaluable gift. One I try to pass on when I am confronted with the opportunity. I teach what I’ve learnt without judgment but with much empathy.

My questions to my nominees: (warning, I don’t ask easy questions)

1.     Do you love yourself from the inside out to the outside in? (If yes move to question 5)

a.      If you answer NO for question #1 then proceed to #2

b.     If yes move to question #4

2.     What is stopping you from loving yourself wholly?

3.     As self-love is one of the keys to true happiness how do you plan to teach yourself how to love yourself as you are and understand that you are enough?

4.     What things do you do for yourself that enriches, nourishes and affirms your being?

5.     How do you hold yourself accountable for your poor decisions?

6.     Are you able to forgive yourself your humanness and move forward without beating up yourself and getting stuck in the, what should have been, if only I had?

7.     How do you celebrate you, your uniqueness and authenticity?

8.     How do you stay motivated, hopeful and faithful to you, your thoughts, beliefs and ideals?

9.     If you were your own parent what would be the one thing you would teach yourself?

a.      How have those lesson(s) changed you?

b.     It is said that what we learn we have a responsibility to teach, how do you plan to pass on the lessons to others who may be stuck where you were?

10.Are you being true to your inner self or are you busy pleasing everybody else?

o    If you are not being true to self, how’s that working for you?

My Nominees for THE SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGER AWARD are:

1. Life Definitely Rocks
2. Vanessa Talks
3. At the Starting Gate
4. Catches the Eye
5. The Watered Soul
6. Access Denied-Living with MS
7. Teshuva
8. Docia’s Nest
9. Dayor Writes
10. Skyik

Ladies (sisters), please pick up your awards. Blessings to you all.