11 (three!) things

December 11 – 11 Things 
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? 
(Author: Sam Davidson)


These prompts are getting more serious by the day! I have to say that I'm pretty content in life and really cannot identify "11 things" that I'd like to eliminate. Three is all I can muster at this point in time. I'm also not sure that I can be bothered going into how I will go about eliminating these "things" from my life and I think that any changes to my life as a consequence of their elimination are fairly self-evident (i.e. work it out for yourself!). So, here goes - 11 (or three!) things I want to eliminate:


1. Embarrassment at my achievements - I am fairly kick ass in an academic sense, but constantly downplay my intelligence, fearing that people will regard me as conceited. However, I am aware that there is a way to balance pride in one's skills and modesty. (N.B. On re-reading of this point, I realise that it's hard to believe someone could be embarrassed by their achievements and describe themselves as "kick ass" in the same line...oops!)


2. Pessimism - My beloved Magpies may be ten goals up (60 points for all you non-AFL fans out there) with only five minutes of game time remaining, but in my mind, there's still a very real possibility that they will lose. This approach can, at times, spill over into other aspects of my life. I suppose a negative approach guarantees that if the worst does indeed eventuate I will be prepared. On the other hand, it makes for rather miserable footy viewing companion!


3. Taking things personally - I have moved forward in leaps and bounds in this area in 2010, thanks to a dear friend recommending this book. Now, I'm really not one for self help books, but this really is a little gem (and, incidentally, isn't what I'd consider a conventional self-help book). Essentially, Ruiz's idea is that nothing others say or do is because of you - rather, their words and actions are a projection of their own reality. This realisation has certainly had an effect on my people pleasing antics and I would like to further cement the notion in my mind in the coming year. 


So there you have it, folks - the three "things" I need to work on eliminating in 2011. I feel as if I'm getting worse at this reverb10 business as the days of December tick over. I hope I'm not boring any of my readers - my sincere apologies if this is the case. You will be pleased to know that my next post will feature gingerbread...so hang in there!