In August I’ll be attending a blogging conference that I’m hoping will give this space more perspective and drive. The other day I received the questionnaire all attendees are supposed to fill out prior to the event. All pretty standard questions and easy to answer – except for the last one. “In a few sentences, tell us about yourself!”

Talking about yourself should be an easy task, right? I mean who knows me better?

I’m a talker. I consider myself an all around social person. Good at your basic pleasantries and I like getting to know new people. But I’m not so great at talking about myself. I can list off things I have done and accomplished and where I have been but as for personality traits I have a really hard time coming up with positive personal attributes. Sure, I could blame this problem on a lack of self esteem or past hurt that has forced me to focus on the negative rather than the positive. But in all honesty, I really think it’s time that is the culprit here.

I don’t really take the time to get to know myself. I haven’t really taken the time in a long while to see what I have to offer the people around me. I really think that the last time I did a good self reflection was in college when I was deciding on my major. Now that’s not to say I haven’t thought about my direction in life since I was a freshman in college. There have definitely been other life changing decisions aside from my college degree that have taken considerable discernment and thought but as for thinking about me and my talents – that time has been lacking. I was able to get some good thinking time in this past fall when I went on a silent retreat with some girl friends. But that retreat wasn’t as conducive to silent reflection as I was hoping it would be. In college all I did was reflect. I was constantly  focusing on what I wanted to do with my life, what I was getting my degree in, classes I was taking, classes I wanted to take, clubs and organizations that were going to shape my future, relationships and friendships that were being formed – all of these facets shaping and forming me, me, me.

So the last time I can really remember reflecting on me was in college. That is, until last week when I received that email and was prompted to talk about myself. I spent days thinking of ways to creatively craft words together that would encompass my identity at this transitional point in my life and what I am trying to do with this blog – really, why I want to go to this event in general. It was an interesting opportunity to think about how my interests have changed over the past several years and it was time I needed to think about what I want to put on this blog – what parts of me I want to share with the world.

Here’s what I got:

Wife of a hairy husband, mother of a darling daughter, author of a budding blog (and alliterative writing enthusiast). Elementary teacher turned full time mom with an affinity for craft beer, old lady hobbies, and the belief that having a baby doesn’t have to mean ending your social life. Trying to find my voice one rambly post at a time.

Not bad. I like me right now.

It was hard to focus on me and think about myself for a few days, but well worth it and I like the direction and ideas it has put in my head for some future posts.

Do you have a hard time talking about yourself? Why do you think that is? I know I’m not alone in this problem but I’m wondering if it’s more of a self-esteem issue out there or a lack of time to sit and reflect on how awesome you are.