Beautiful Blogger

To my delight and surprise I was nominated by Nadia at A Little Bit of This and That  for a beautiful blogger award!  The cool thing is that she was also nominated for a beautiful blogger award, and this is how the rules go: I need to…

a) Write seven interesting things about myself, b) Nominate other bloggers who I feel deserve this award, c) Let them know about the nomination!

Seven Interesting things, hey?  This is tricky because I might find these things interesting while others do not, and also, I don’t want to reveal too much! I want to keep some of my cards close to my chest as I’d rather let you slowly get to know me in time, and of course, in person is much better 🙂  But here goes:

1)   This blog has really helped me.  It saw me through some dark times – and is continuing to see me through.  At times it was the only thing anchoring me to my sanity and the only thing keeping me in touch with the beauty that can be found in living every day.  When I don’t write about what I am grateful for, I notice myself becoming more negative! This blog helps me to be consciously appreciative, and therefore I need it and hope I will continue to write on it for a long time. Start your own gratitude blog or journal today.  It’s really easy and can bring so much positivity into your life.

2) I used to dream of becoming a comedian because I was good at making my family members laugh.  Humour is very important to me, especially in someone I’m dating.  If you can’t make me laugh, or if I can’t make you laugh, it’s not going to work!

3) I have seven years of art training, particularly in oil painting.  I wish I would paint more, because I know I can paint well. I’ve secretly longed to take a year off from everything and go live in some remote place like Winnipeg or Bali and just paint and make art.

4) Lack of consideration of others or future consequences really REALLY bothers me.  For example tonight I saw a guy pick up a chip bag from the street and use it to pick up his dog’s poop.  Then, instead of finding a garbage can, he stuffed the mess into the gutter.  I wanted to yell down from my balcony that he could cause flooding and that what he did was disgusting and that it would probably end up in the river etc… but I lacked the correct words in French to convey my annoyance.  My best friend in Montreal is blind and he ALWAYS stops to pick up his seeing eye-dog’s poop (with biodegradable bags that he never leaves home without) and then he ALWAYS finds a trash can, even when he has to wander around until someone helps him.  I just have to learn not to let myself get so offended by the idiocracy of others – it’s only causing me grief. I’m working on it.

5) I’m a bit of a loner.  I love to spend time by myself and LOVE living alone.  Sometimes I think that living with others would encourage me to grow and I do value community life, but I also really love my own time and space.  I also feel guilty about this most of the time and feel like something must be wrong with me. Living alone has some drawbacks like having no one to put sunscreen on your back or to take a picture of your new outfit – so here’s a candid shot of me trying my best to take a self-portrait in the mirror :S

6) I have major F.O.M.O. syndrome!! Fear of missing out!  Despite my love of my alone time, I almost always feel like something interesting is going on somewhere and I’m missing out!  Because of this neurotic tendency of mine, Montreal is actually stressful for me at times.  There is just so much going on in this city that no matter what you are doing, there is, without a doubt, something more amazing going on and you are missing out on it!!  This often causes me to just stay at home because I can’t possibly go out to all of the amazing things.

7) Pressure pushes me the other way.  As soon as I set up a goal for myself or someone challenges me to do something, I feel my self being repulsed from that goal or thing more and more.  For example, I haven’t written a thing on this blog (that I used to update everyday, sometimes TWICE a day) since I was nominated for the beautiful blogger award on August 18th! Something about this nomination just intimidated the crap out of me and instead of feeling drawn to write as I used to, I found myself avoiding blogging more than ever!  I had to force myself to just sit down and start writing! And as usual, it worked! I often find that I build things up in my mind to be much worse (or better) than they actually are and that most things are approachable if you just start doing them! Start somewhere today!
The bloggers that I would nominate are:

My Aunt Hilda’s blog
hildatoews45.blogspot.ca   She’s someone I admire and relate to in many ways.  Follow her on her adventures to Ireland and all over Canada to visit her zany (but wonderful) kids!

I Have no Idea What I’m Doing

http://15franklin.blogspot.ca/  A hilarious blog that I’ve been following for over a year now – daily adventures of being the mom of triplets!  Love it!

Get Busy Living!

http://getbusylivingblog.com/about/  This blog changed my perspective to the point where I totally changed my mindset and am in a better place emotionally and mentally than I was 2 months ago.  If you write this busy guy an email, he’ll write you back with uplifting thoughts.  Try it!

And on a final note of gratitude about my day, today I went to Oka beach with my lovely cousins – Matt, Marie, Edouard and Florence.  I am very thankful to have them living here in Montreal as having family nearby is psychologically so comforting.  That and they’re awesome 🙂