personal-achievements

The gentle rhythmic sway of the train, like a lullaby, comforts me in the plush seat, as the morning's chilling 7°C temperature outside paints the carriage windows with dainty crystalline patterns. It may sound strange, but there's something alluring about winter. Its morbidity, its austerity, it screams transience, yet its captivating beauty is undeniable. I think that's how I am feeling today: a delicate blend between icy-cold solitude and the feathery touch of life.

Speaking of life, I read something earlier that sparked a trail of thoughts. It was the essence of a debate that happened in the Norwegian Parliament. No need to get into the details, but it highlighted the delicacy of trust — so easily shattered like a thin layer of ice. Trust, a nondescript emotion, so powerful yet brittle. It requires time to build, but can be destroyed within a mere fraction of a second. And isn't it the same with our personal achievements?

Every day, we triumph. Little, big, monumental — every victory counts, every achievement is worth a celebration. These accomplishments, like trust, are not built in a day. They come with consistent efforts, perseverance, stumbling blocks, wiped tears, and unfaltering determination. And like trust, they are delicate, yet strong enough to build the castle of our life. And so we should celebrate them, savour them, and honour them, as they march us forward in the arduous journey called life.

One such achievement I distinctly remember, was when I learnt the importance of a simple device – a powerbank. I know it sounds trivial and mundane, but when you're on a train in the middle of nowhere with a dead phone, the importance of a powerbank strikes you like a revelation.

From managing to keep my phone charged on long journeys to ensuring I have enough juice to write these blogs - such a small accessory has become a beacon of reliability. It's commendable how such a tiny gadget can immensely streamline your day, making your routine hiccup-free. So much power, so much potential, encapsulated in a palm-sized device, is surely a validation of human ingenuity, an achievement that, paradoxically, we often forget to celebrate. And so today, I acknowledge this understated piece of technology that has become an essential part of my story.

Celebrating personal achievements does not necessarily mean grand parties or public validation. Sometimes, it’s about self-reflection, sometimes it’s about acknowledging your resilience in overcoming a hurdle, and other times, it’s about deriving immense satisfaction from a seemingly simplistic milestone.

Pardon the moroseness of this discourse, but euphoria and ecstasy aren’t the sole companions of achievements. Even within the brooding shadows and chilling silences, triumphs should be celebrated, for they are the guiding stars in our journey, durable as a powerbank, yet delicate as trust. And in this glorifying dance between triumph and trust lies the beauty of life. The life that, despite its stark winter-esque bareness, burgeons forth with a sumptuous symphony of celebrations.

Tags: self-reflection personal achievements life philosophy

As I find myself settled in the familiar humdrum of the late afternoon train, nestled between the soft blue fabric of the seats and the detached droning of the engine, I can't help but contemplate the topic at hand: celebrating personal achievements.

A strange phrase, isn't it? Poised somewhere between self-congratulation and recognition, it feels rather like a cruel punchline in the disheartening narrative my day has become. Just minutes ago, I was peering over a news article about a sudden landslide. Although the raw shock of disaster tended to grab headlines, my journalistic instincts had me riveted to the seemingly arbitrary nature of the event. In the cloying chill of the Norwegian winter, the world just tilted sideways without any logical explanation, and we were made forcibly aware of our vulnerability. In moments like this, the self-celebration of personal achievements seems jarringly trivial, even indulgent.

Yet, my pessimism must not overshadow the fact that every accomplishment, big or small, is indeed something to be celebrated. After all, aren't we all striding toward some semblance of success and achievement in our lives; are we not all navigating the intricate labyrinth of our personal aspirations?

But, you see, the world has a way of diminishing the value of our struggles. The banality of the day-to-day can often dull the shine of our accomplishments. The landslide, the sudden shock and chaos of it, is a fitting metaphor for the intrusive uncertainty that breaks into our lives, overshadowing our small but precious triumphs and reducing them to obscurity.

Through the frosty window, I see the landscape outside blurring into a mix of wintry blues, with the temperature hovering at a brisk 3°C. The horizon bodies a muted spectacle of nature’s enigma, mirroring the uncertainty that we as humans are so often manifested amidst. Suddenly, the prospect of celebrating individual achievements seems dispiritingly insignificant, an empty echo in the vast expanse of life's grand theatre.

It's a desolate world we live in, isn't it? Where our personal victories often bite the dust in the face of grander narratives. Yet, we persist and perhaps that in itself is a victory worth celebrating. Amidst landslides and life's unpredictable upheavals, maybe the real achievement is in rising above the basement of despair and choosing to celebrate the victories nonetheless.

As I travel this wintry path through introspection and realization on this daily commute from Oslo, I don’t have the answers. And that’s a hard swallow. But isn't seeking, questioning, and enduring also a form of accomplishment? Life, it appears, revels in such complexities.

Tags: self-reflection personal achievements life challenges

As I sat on my usual morning train from home to Oslo, chugging through the brittle 7°C weather, I couldn't help but dwell on a profound sense of melancholy. The drab hue of the cold outside reflected my inner turmoil, while I grappled with the news article I had just scrolled through on VG - another narrative on political power, this one discussing the decaying grip of Hamas in Palestine. Stories such as these, dealing with the interplay of power and responsibility, always trigger a battleground of thoughts within me.

This morning, in particular, it cloaked my previously intended blog topic, ‘Celebrating personal achievements', in an almost sombre introspection. I found myself asking, 'What does it truly mean to celebrate personal achievements, when set against such a vast canvas of collective human struggle?'

But then, perhaps it is even more relevant to address this topic amidst the broader brushstrokes of global anxiety. We all live lives of relative contrast - our personal victories may seem insignificant against the backdrop of the world's uncertainties and intractable political dilemmas, but they are, in fact, profoundly relevant.

I feel it's easy to downplay our personal achievements, particularly when we're routinely exposed to the struggles people across the globe are facing. We think, 'How can I celebrate getting a good grade, a promotion, or finally managing to afford that vacation, when parts of the world are trembling under the strain of power, poverty, and fear.' It may seem inconsequential, even selfish, to revel in our success when there is so much suffering elsewhere.

But then, when we think about it, isn't it these very melancholy juxtapositions that make celebrating our personal achievements all the more essential? More so, when these achievements come as fruits of persistence, resilience and determination in the face of adversity?

It's the little victories we take for granted that breathe life into the somewhat gloomy fabric of reality. The collective human struggle is significant, but equally significant are our individual journeys. They humanize the broader narrative, giving it a face, giving it a voice, giving it 'us'.

Perhaps, it's time to shed the guilt attached to celebrating our personal achievements. Perhaps we must understand that every personal achievement celebrated is a push against the looming despair the world tends to throw at us; it's our own way of telling the world, 'Despite you, I rise. Despite you, I hope. Despite you, I celebrate.'

Each day we continue to try, to strive, and to succeed is a testament to our inherent human resilience — a resilience that, despite a crestfallen heart and a world full of strife, refuses to bow down. So, today, let us choose to celebrate our personal achievements, big or small. For these humble triumphs are reminders of our strength as individuals, a strength that mirrors the perseverance of humanity at large, irrespective of the formidable challenges we collectively face.

So, here’s to a toast to our personal achievements – a beacon of optimism, a sign of defiance against global despair, and a celebration of our indomitable spirit. No matter the grim stories around, let’s hold onto our hopes, victories, and celebrations. After all, what is life but a series of battles fought and victories gained, both personal and collective?

Tags: personal achievement global issues resilience self-reflection personal achievements global anxieties