What are you proud of?

I’ve been having a tough couple of weeks what with one thing and another. Nothing specific I’ve just been feeling rather down and a bit lost. I feel like I’m failing at everything, I don’t have time to do what I need to in a day and I’m getting panicked about starting back at uni. I feel like nothing is going right & I can’t drag myself out of this little hole I’m buried in.

Last weekend though, I was having the usual shopping trip with Sam, my Mum and Grandma. I found a gorgeous cream, knee length mac and tried it on in a size 14. This may not sound small to most people but to me it was a revelation. It’s a bit tight around my excessively large, child bearing hips but as I have another 3 stone to lose that’s no big deal. My lovely Grandma bought it for me, telling me she was so proud of me for doing this well and she had no doubt I’d lose the rest of the weight.

Later, I was telling my Mum how I was worried about fitting my uni work in around my full time job and Sam, how this was the Employment Law semester & I didn’t think I was intelligent enough to cope with it. She told me how proud she was of me for studying while working and having a baby and if I really wanted it then I could do it without a problem.

Just these 2 comments made me feel about 10 feet tall. I get bogged down in the little things, the washing up not being done, the washing not being put away, the reading to be done for next weeks class. The world will not fall apart if these aren’t done. Generally I’m doing a good job  – not great but good enough. We should stop being so hard on ourselves.

In the last few weeks I’ve noticed that a lot of people are a bit down. The weather has turned, dark mornings and nights are creeping in, swine flu and general illnesses are on the increase, the recession continues (not according to some but I’m still bloody skint), Christmas and all the present buying is just around the corner. It’s a wonder most of us are still functioning.

I don’t think anyone is taking enough time out to think about their achievement, the things they are doing well and the things they are proud of. It’s much easier to beat ourselves up about what the don’t do or do badly.

So, I’m starting a meme. I have no idea if it’s been done before, exactly how a meme works or meme etiquette so I’m just bumbling my way through!  I’d like people to list 5 things they are proud of – it doesn’t have to be recent, it doesn’t even have to be big. So, who to tag?

Josie is having a very rough few weeks and I think she needs to big herself up a little bit.

Emily has hinted at a fascinating life so I’m being very nosy!

Tim is a daddy blogger and an author and I think he’s very interesting.

Mama B has no idea who I am but I love her blog and apparently she lives near me.

The NDM lives in Oz & I’d like to live there too.

So for those random, and possibly ridiculous reasons I’d like to know what they are proud of. I’d love to know others too.

My 5:

1. I’m proud of myself for losing 3 stone. It was hard but I did it, which means I know I can lose another 3 when I start back on the diet next week.
2. I’m proud of myself because when I was 23 I moved to China on my own to live and work for 7 months. It was completely out of character & most people didn’t think I’d last for 5 minutes. I did though and it was amazing.
3. I’m proud of myself for being in my 4^th of 5 years of studying for my professional qualifications. I do this in the evenings on top of my full time job and being a mum. I’ve studied through planning a wedding, being pregnant (I had Sam 5 weeks after my final exams in my 2^nd year), being on mat leave (I went back to uni when Sam was 10 weeks old) and being back at work. Actually I’m bloody proud of this. It’s been so hard and I’m nearly there. 
4. I’m proud of myself for managing to pack socks in Sam’s bag today because yesterday I forgot and his Nana had to buy him some.
5. I’m proud of myself for managing to keep Sam alive for the past 15 months. Sometimes I wanted to throw him out of window, sometimes I caught him chewing wires. He’s here though , miraculously and I have had a big part in that.