10 Things I Like About Myself: The Playlist

Finding 10 things to like about oneself might feel like a daunting task. At first, I thought so when I considered entering this challenge, but then I realized rattling off a list of self-likes shouldn't be such an investigative process. It should be easy, right? Especially if one considers the adage "love thyself first to love others better."

Maybe that's the problem: we don't love ourselves enough.

Hmm..

Up for the challenge, I am, so here I go with 10 things I like about myself set to 10 accompanying songs.

It's time to get personal.

1. I like that I am a dual citizen. I am British/American and moved to the States when I was 3. I struggled a lot as a child, enduring mandated speech classes in the late 70s to correct my incorrect pronunciation of words and spelling according to American school systems.

Bowie takes me back to 1984 and a family holiday to my native England- A splendid trip, affirming my feelings of dual citizenship.

2. I like my ability to hold onto memories of a barely 3-year-old-me. These memories are key to discovering other self-likes.

Paul McCartney and Wings Band on the Run reconnects me to little me in 1974. I can still hear Mum singing.

3. I like my unpopular maiden name, Greb. As a child, I often cringed, but this was due to peer name-calling and children teasing me with "Grub."

Howard Jones helped this young teenager stay strong and accept things she could not change.

4. I like that I came up in a strict family- I like it NOW, hated it way back when.

Sheltered, rules galore, and seemingly outdated concepts were not my best buds, especially as an 80s teen, but with adulthood came appreciation.

Bob Seger's Shakedown lifted this teen to alternate universes where she could get out and about. Truth be told, I snuck out a time or two without getting busted. Remind me not to show my parents this piece!

5. I like that I have a little rebellion in me. Without it, I wouldn't have defied family guidance, leaving home at 18. If I didn't, I never would have had my children young. Regrets? No, because I cannot imagine life without my four kids.

Freedom by George Michael was a personal 1990 anthem.

6. I like that I was a stripper once upon a time. It all began with a dare, but became an outlet for artistic expression frowned upon in an old-fashioned household growing up. Not everyone liked it- who cares! The artist in me needed to create.

Army of Me by Bjork takes me back to much more than a club-favored hit, it reinstates the like in me that really started shining through when I paired stage performance with a search and rescue for the authentic creator in me.

7. I like that I am a life survivor, specifically a survivor of domestic abuse. Under different circumstances, I may very well not be here, but the quick actions of one of my children saved me.

Tracy Chapman's Behind the Wall reminds me how fortunate I am and is a testament to the strength of my bond with my children.

8. I like my empathetic nature and spiritual journey. People have often told me I am too nice. I disagree. I know how to discern, but I also know how to care deeply without judgment.

In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel is a lyrical tie to my empathetic outlook.

9. I like my ability to forgive; it hasn't been easy, but the journey has been eye-opening. Many lessons learned along the road, some the hard way, but forgiveness has afforded me freedom from the self-binding chains of yesterday's heartache, despair, and confusion.

Jim Croce's The Hard Way Everytime reminds me of the road I've travelled and the twist in the bend, when forgiveness led me in a new direction.

10. I like that I am still here, still living at 53. Many in my family, many people from childhood, and other walks have not been so lucky. I celebrate my middle age, knowing I am blessed. Neither young nor old- instead, a perfect middle ground with so much more to explore and learn.

When I'm Sixty-four by The Beatles is a lighthearted listen about loving age, no matter what, and I liken it to my modern mindset.

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Join the challenge and discover the hidden self-likes you didn't realize existed. Self-appreciation sparks self-love, and self-love inspires outward love given to the world.

Thanks for reading!