What are your personal top 12 favorite incidents in your life up to now?

12 things? It’s hard to rank comparisons beyond the top five or six. And they have certainly changed a lot over the years; about four or five of the top 12 when I was thirty are not in the top 20.

Four or five are related to my kids. 3 or 4 have to do with relationships. Another four or so relate to personal experiences/accomplishments.

Its sounds cliche, but my kids and grandkids are the number one favorite things that have ever happened to me, and that takes me over my limit of 12 things.

Getting married.
getting my CDL.
Seeing Mrs Squeeky graduate from university.
Buying our first house.
buying our second house.
Getting totally out of debt,
That is all I can think for right now.

Turning 16 and driving
Moving out at 17
Meeting my half-sisters
Graduating HS
Turning 21-drinking!
Buying my first new car off the lot
Marriage at 28
Buying a home
Meeting my brother
(A few life and career achievements)

The only recommendations I would have for anyone is to be really careful about who you allow to affect your life. Pay your bills and keep your credit high. Don’t job jump. Start your own savings no matter what.

Typical stuff:
First nice guitar
First real sexual experience
First car
Placing third in the state in a track and field event
Senior trip to Aruba
First real job
Buying first house
Graduating from college
Getting married
First motorcycle
Leading my first huge project
Beating hypochondria

Beating hypochondria? That sounds really fascinating @ARE_you_kidding_me. How did you do it? Could you share more? Maybe as a question or in PM if you want?

It took years of irrational fears not happening and learning to tune down that “what if ” voice. At some point you just stop fearing death too. You accept it as enevitable and that helps a lot. Counseling and medicating can’t help this, it’s a demon you have to fight yourself. It never goes away 100% but I have not been in full blown panic in at least eight years. We have another jelly going through it but I have not seen them post in a while. I would not wish it on anyone.

I bet. I am glad you overcame it, @ARE_you_kidding_me.

Thanks

In random order:

• Overcoming my social anxiety through exposure therapy

• Discovering my passion for drawing/art last year

• Making new friends two years ago and making a good network of friends

• Joining a filmaking group – we are currently writing and directing a short film.

• Getting my first freelance job – I’m illustrating an indpendent children’s book.

The summer I turned 14, completely free of fear for the first time and I had a blast.
Getting married (twice).
The rush from riding roller coasters, diving off high dives, etc.
The births of my 3 daughters, raising them and knowing (and being proud of) them as the adults they now are.
Learning woodworking and building actual furniture with the new skills.
Being caught in the middle of a huge butterfly swarm in the woods, like a butterfly tornado!
Spontaneous pillow fight with my husband (in our 50s).
The feeling I get when I’ve finished an especially good painting or art/craft project.

My resulting recommendations: Try to overcome fear, take chances, be creative, and love with abandon.

As a chronically ill person, I have to add: Appreciate your body/physical abilities while you have them, and take nothing for granted.

Finding Fluther is one of the most, if not the most, important thing to happen to me so far. No, it’s not an exaggeration. Looking back, every good thing in my life is a result of this. Imagine you want to do something, but no one gives you a single encouragement because they don’t believe in you, how do think you can keep enough drive to go on? Well that was my situation before I found Fluther. Fluther connected me to several people that I can safely call “friends”. They give me the confidence that I’m capable of what I set out to do. Moreover, the friends give me enough love to render the toxic people unnecessary. Things only got better from here.

^^^ Wow @Mimishu1995…