Celebrating 100 Blog Posts
Last week I shared my 100th blog with you! How do I celebrate this accomplishment? Well, I thought I would share 100 random things with you. Quotes, lessons, reasons I write, future blog posts percolating in my mind, and more bits and pieces. I’m hoping that somewhere in all of this, you will find something that resonates with you!
10 blogging lessons I’ve learned:
1. Write for yourself first, and not for other people.
2. Blogging is the perfect activity for an introvert to connect with other women.
3. Blogging is therapeutic and you learn so much about yourself through your writing.
4. Never forget why you are blogging.
5. Write from the heart. Remain true to yourself.
6. Take a break when you need to. I have written 100 blogs in 112 weeks.
7. Don’t worry about writing the perfect blog post.
8. You will not always know which blog posts will resonate.
9. Not everyone will like your content, and that’s okay.
10. Write when you are most inspired and productive. It took me too long to realize I write best under pressure and now I usually write my blogs the day before posting!
10 reasons I write:
11. I write about my past to understand my present.
12. I write about what I want to know so I can learn and grow.
13. I write to explore my world and my beliefs.
14. I write to tell my stories.
15. I write to speak my truth.
16. I write to deepen my relationship with myself.
17. I write because I cannot imagine living life without putting pen to paper.
18. I write to learn more about what I’m thinking.
19. I write because I usually feel better after I do.
20. I write, as Jericho Brown wrote, because the more time I spend with individual words and sentences, the more I am able to walk closer to something I have never said. And that is where I find what I am searching for.
Your 10 favourite blog posts (in order):
22. Tugging on the Sleeves of My Heart
24. The Comfort of My Husband’s Arms
26. The Pilgrim Road
28. Women Rowing North: Six Suggestions for the Journal
Ten things I need in life:
31. The rustle of pebbles conversing with the sea, pounding waves to calm my heart, and an ocean breeze to blow my worries away.
32. The shrill cry of soaring eagles, the morning song of chickadees, the collective honking of migrating snow geese, the drumming of flickers on our metal chimney, and the shrill whistle of the resident kingfisher living near our pond.
33. Large stacks of books, preferably books with lots of pages, printed in a small font.
34. The anticipation of the next trip – I love the dreaming and planning as much as the next adventure!
35. The comfort of my husband’s arms, visits with my children, and snuggles with my granddaughter.
36. The circle of women who weave invisible nets of love that carry me when I'm weak and sing with me when I'm strong. (Adapted from a quote by SARK)
37. Morning walks with Tucker and cat snuggles when I read.
38. Country roads and hiking trails that I can walk “in a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though they were three characters finally in conversation together, three notes suddenly making a chord.” (Rebecca Solnit)
39. I need plants, books, sunshine, silence, and a comfy chair to fuel my creativity. Physical space means a great deal to me.
40. Life stories, my own and those shared by the women in my workshops, provide with much needed insight.
Ten facts about you, Ageless Possibilities readers:
41. 60% of you live in Canada
42. 25% of you live in the United States
43. 5% of you live in the UK
44. 5% of you live in Australia
45. The remaining 5% of you are scattered around the globe
46. 19% of you are 65+
47. 34% of you are 55 - 64
48. 25% of you are 45 – 54
49. 98% of you are female
50. 70% of those of you who subscribe to my blog read my weekly blog post on Sunday morning
My ten favourite sounds:
51. The cooing and gurgling of my new granddaughter
52. Gregorian chants
53. My dog’s sighs of deep contentment
54. Red-winged blackbirds welcoming the return of spring
55. Purring cats
56. Stuart McLean’s voice
57. ‘Un bel di’ aria from Madame Butterfly
58. Rain on a tin roof
59. The sound of wind approaching through rustling trees
60. A chorus of tree frogs
Ten things my close friends say is unique about me:
When I began blogging, I was encouraged to invite women who knew me well, to reflect on what makes me unique. This activity is designed to help bloggers hone in on their blog content.
61. I am authentic, gentle, approachable, insightful, and wise.
62. I make it safe to be vulnerable.
63. I don’t let others define who I am.
64. I am not a joiner, but I am clearly part of something bigger.
65. I immerse myself completely when I am passionate and committed.
66. I set high standards for myself and others.
67. I am not good at failure.
68. I have a deep sense of purpose.
69. I can see things from multiple perspectives and am able to put the pieces together.
70. I hold deep values around family, motherhood and feminine strengths.
Ten favourite quotes:
Often, a single line in a book or a poem moves me. Here are a few of my favourites that reflect my blogging journey:
71. “Now I become myself. It’s taken time, many years and places.” – May Sarton
72. “She thought she had stopped when she retired, but she hadn’t stopped at all. She’d kept on running hopelessly toward some unspecified, unattainable goal.” Liane Moriarty in Apples Never Fall
73. “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in the darkness the astonishing light of your own being.” – Hafiz of Persia
74. “There is a tiny hole in my heart where childhood trauma lives.” Mitchell, Modern Family
75. “There is no more creative force in the world than a menopausal woman with zest.” – Margaret Mead
76. “Every day I see or hear something that kills me with delight.” – Mary Oliver
77. “It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” - Ursula LeGuin
78. “Every story begins inside a story that’s already begun by others.” – Richard Blanco
79. “The real trick in life is to turn hindsight into foresight that reveals insight.” – Robin S. Sharma
80. “Old age is not an illness, it is a timeless ascent. As power diminishes, we grow toward the light.” – May Sarton
Ten places I’d stay again:
I’ve mentioned numerous places where I have stayed in my travels. Here are ten I hope to return to time and time again!
81. Point No Point Resort (Sooke, British Columbia)
82. Maile Treehouse (Volcano Village, Hawaii)
83. Villa Rameau (Leiden, The Netherlands)
84. Hotel Fuentes de Lucia (Faedo, Spain)
85. Miles Away Cottage (Puakea Ranch, Hawi, Hawaii)
86. Pacific Sands Beach Resort (Tofino, British Columbia)
87. Mar Vista Cottages (Gualala, California)
88. Ubud Dedari Villas (Bedulu, Bali)
89. King Edward Bed and Breakfast (Ottawa, Ontario)
Ten future blog posts percolating in my mind:
Gretchen Rubin says pleasant anticipation is an important source of happiness; so let me share with you some future blog posts I plan to write about:
91. Where does your mind go when it drifts?
92. The invisibility of older women
93. My drawer of unfinished projects
94. Guilty pleasures
95. A Sunday kind of loving
96. Is it important to forgive?
97. The uncertainty of life
98. Family treasures
99. What is me, and what is us?
100. Paddling in the dark
As I said, I’m hoping that somewhere in all of this, you will find something that resonates with you! So tell me, was there something that sparked your interest?