Monday, September 26, 2011

7x7 Award (Pimptastic Edition)


A while ago the amazing Jennifer Fabulous tagged me with the 7x7 award. (I'm not sure where the pimptastic part comes in but I like it). This was a great chance to go back through the past couple years and re-read things I'd forgotten I wrote.

The way it works is, you list your top posts under these categories and then pass the award on to seven others. Simple enough. Here goes...


Most Beautiful



I would have thought my most beautiful post would have turned out to be about a woman but that wasn't the case. If You're Struggling With Something... presented the story of Nick Vujicic in his own words. Nick was born with no arms and no legs but hasn't let that stop him from leading a life more fulfilling than many more "able-bodied" people experience. He's a remarkable person, a powerful speaker and I get inspired every time I hear him.


Most Helpful


I've had great feedback from my "Greater Understanding" series. This is where I openly present real-life subjects that I feel aren't talked about enough, whenever possible through the words of people actually living these experiences instead of from just textbooks. So far I've covered depression , female orgasm , tears , anorexia , living with an alcoholic parent and self-harm. My recent post Sex and Guilt also prompted some great comments and discussions.


Most Popular    


         

Based purely on the number of views, Ink (Contains Nudity) has been my most often-read post with 5,423 hits so far, or almost 10% of my blog's overall total. Proof I guess that if you really want to be read, include something about sex or nudity. Based on the number of comments received Bloggers Over Borders (bottom) is my most popular.



Most Controversial            



Few things get people more worked up than talking about sex and relationships. In my two-part post A Foolish Heart's View Of Love , I decided to stir things up by giving my views of love, relationships and sex that are a bit outside conventional thinking (although becoming increasingly more widely accepted). The comments that resulted were just what I had hoped for.



Most Underrated



I was disappointed that Why Do I Get So Close To My Bloggers only got one comment (although I smiled when I saw who it was from). This post is kind of a behind-the-scenes look at the rewards I get from my relationships with you guys. Please go back and read it, it's lonely.


Most Surprisingly Successful



Back in December of last year my very dear friend Rasha wrote this post. It had a big impact and stayed with me ever since, recently I decided to write my own and Letter To A Younger Me was the result. I consider it surprisingly successful not because of the number of comments but in the way it hit home with some of you and the amazing things you said. I'd like to do another one in five or ten years and see how my views on life have changed.



Most Prideworthy



Bloggers Over Borders. I ran this project as an effort to bring us together internationally beyond our computer screens, and hopefully turn strangers into friends as a result. It was a massive undertaking that ended up costing me a fair amount of money, but I was prepared for it. Not everyone followed through but most did; overall it was one of the most satisfying things I've done and I consider it a success. Bloggers Over Borders created a lot of buzz and I'm thinking of doing it again in the future.



And now I pass the 7x7 award on to the following:

Bella from Fragments of Me
Celia at High Heeled Life
Jade at Blush of Dawn
Jill at Life After College
Melanie from Melanie's Randomness
Rasha at And this is what She said
and for a splash of something spicy, France at Sometimes The World Begins

A rain check goes out to Agata, Miss Always Carried Away . Perhaps when your exam is finished you'll have time to do this? I'd like that.

11 comments:

  1. What a neat award and a good excuse to review and contemplate your own work, something probably a lot of us don't slow down enough to do. Congrats, Barry!

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  2. Thanks for the award! This was interesting.

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  3. THanks Barry! I always enjoy reading your blog :) I never read the ink one so now i will go back !

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  4. Congratulations :)

    This was a really interesting read - loved getting to read some which I hadn't had the chance to previously. Very inspirational!

    I can't wait to see where the future takes you xxx

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  5. Thank you so much for this tag, I was reading your post and I was wondering and wondering - what posts I would put here on my own blog. I have to have a verrry long evening to do this tag.

    Just couple of weeks ago I found a video with Nick Vujicic's motivational speech. He left me speechless with my mouth open. I almost cried.

    Thank you for wishing me an amazing time with my bf. but we had a huge fight today and he stayed in another town to calm down so I have another evening/night to write my thesis. I "love" relationships when you can't find a mutual agreement.

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  6. You are so amazing. Thank you. I agree that a lot of these people are great. and look forward to reading some I haven't.

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  7. Wow I remember most of these very vividly, particularly the ink one and the "why I get close to my bloggers." I've kind of been a ghost reader of your blog in the past six months to a year because I don't get your blog (along with several others) on my parents' computer. And when I do read your blog, it's usually from my phone and it is extremely complicated to comment on the damn thing.

    I'm not sure how I missed the Nick post. I need to watch that video. His story sounds incredibly inspiring and heartbreakingly beautiful.

    Giving you this blog award was a no-brainer! You're the first person who came to my mind when I was given the award, because this award is PERFECT for you. All your posts are so different and interesting. You actually WRITE on your blog too, which makes you a rockstar. Yeah, this award was definitely created with bloggers like you in mind. :)

    I love you!

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  8. Thanks guys! I wish I could pass this award on to everyone, but even if I didn't get you I'd love to see you do this on your blog.

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  9. Thank you so much. :)
    I'm working on my acceptance speech and a post!
    XO

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  10. I think you are totally deserving of this award! I really enjoy reading your posts, and I can tell that a lot of thought and heart goes into them. They are a joy to read, and you are a joy to know!

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  11. very interesting posts... cheers to more goodies in the future ~

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