Thursday, April 11, 2013

What am I proud of... ???

Tomorrow I have a job interview for a promotion at work. I have asked a few people who have gone through the process of getting promoted at my job what kinds of questions they will ask. I am not worried about most of the questions as I feel I am fully qualified for the job and would be the ideal candidate. BUT that does not mean I don't want to be prepared for all the questions. Like what would you say you are most proud of? Ugh. I dread these questions. But why? Is it some sort of piece of me that I feel should not be proud of all I've done? Is there some part of me that feels I am not proud? What does proud mean, anyway? According webster:
  1. Feeling or showing pride: "a proud grandma of three boys".
  2. (of an event, achievement, etc.) Causing someone to feel this way: "a proud history of innovation".
Synonyms
haughty - arrogant - lofty - supercilious - conceited
   






 
 
  
I don't know about you but those synonyms make me feel uncomfortable. arrogant? lofty? conceited!? That is NOT me. But that doesn't mean I can't be proud of who I am and where I come from. What I have overcome and what has made me who I am today. 

The thing is what I am most proud of is not one certain event that I did better than anyone else or anything like that. It's that I am open to people, life and new experiences. I have always been a "good listener" honestly, it comes naturally to me but I have stopped taking it for granted. I have the ability to really hear someone. Not just what they are saying but what they mean when they say it even if its not what they are saying. I have friends from a lot of different walks of life. Young, old, gay, straight, liberal, conservative, and everything in between. I have found the ability to connect with people where they are at, without sacrificing myself or who I am. I'm not going to tell you that there aren't people I don't agree with or don't find the most appealing but I will tell you that with those people that I struggle more with I am taught more and grow more and am further enriched by their uniqueness. I have never been a person to shy away from trying something new (ok there are a few things that I would never try) and I appreciate all the people around me that have some thing to share. Because of this I have had such a rich experience in life. From high school and going to raves to college getting a degree in Photography to running a farm, living on a commune and then deciding to teach myself to bake bread, starting a herb business to photographing weddings to moving to Asheville cause it just feels right and then ending where I am now. 
Now I am a person who knows who I am and what I want. I know what I expect from people and I know how to admit when I am wrong. I am not afraid to be completely me. Even if  that means that I am "strange" to some people. I like to break out in random songs because some one said something that reminded me of a song (I get that from my mom) or break out in dance just because life is fun like that sometimes. Sometimes I get strange looks because people think its strange at first but then I get big smiles because hey I am just having fun and you should too. :)