2011: A Year in Review

True fact: Bloggers, on some level, are all narcissists.

Any blogger who cares to disagree with me, take heed: we think people are interested in what we have to say. Also? You may not want to admit it, but you know you re-read old posts for fun, reveling in your wittiness and brilliant writing skills.

Since I am not a complete narcissist, I am refraining from publishing the typical year-end piece that is a list of my favorite posts. Instead, I am posting five of your favorite pieces that I wrote in 2011 (see how selfless I am?) and then I am also listing my five favorite (insert the semi-narcissistic admission right here). And, as a treat, let’s call it my holiday gift to you, I am including one bonus post. It was impossible to limit sharing my greatness to just five; I just had to throw one more in.

Readers’ Top 5 Favorite in 2011:

1) The Angel I Aspired to Be– I continue to laugh at this fluffy post doing so well. It is actually the most read post written in 2011. Most of the success is from Google Searches for Charlie’s Angels. Go read it and take a trip down memory lane. Well, if you grew up in the 70’s that is. Or you can stop by and laugh at what losers we were in the 70’s. I love the comments on this post too; people outed themselves, being in love with Lee Majors and more.

2) Inspiration for Living and Writing: The Poem Desiderata– This is a beautiful poem written in 1927. No, that is not my foot tattooed. I have been asked often.

3) Where Do I Take Naked Girl This Fall– This is a round-up of the most popular posts in the first half of 2011.

4) Serendipitous Events, Fate, and the Universe– This heart-felt piece was my attempt to pull back, saving a piece of me from my writing. I held firm for many months, but recently started to slowly add in writing about my romantic relationships again. This piece resonated for many, examining how naked we all want to be. The best thing is that these are our rules to set, change, and break. Hold back or share with the world; it’s your choice.

5) Darren Rowse Told Me to Start Naked Girl in a Dress and Other Crazy Admissions– In this post I shared why I started Naked Girl in a Dress (it’s unusual) and discussed my second online project I plan to launch. Just skip over the statement I made about starting the second blog in September, okay? It’s now launching first quarter 2012.

The previous list is in order of popularity. The following is not; it is simply what I enjoyed of my own writing, many with deep personal meaning for me. These are in order of publishing date, with #5 being most recent.

My Top 5 Favorite in 2011:

1) Making Room for Something to Grow and Bloom– This post has personal significance; there was a huge turning point for me, which I wrote about.

2) Living My Childhood Dream– This was something I wrote for a writing prompt. I am really happy with the way the post turned out and the message it conveys. It is hope-filled and inspirational for anyone wanting to make a life change.

3) The Gift of Forgiveness– This piece speaks of the importance of forgiving, freeing both people in the process.

4) 10 Tips to Help Men Improve Online Dating Profiles– This doesn’t seem to fit with the the rest of the list. It is one of the few rants I have published on my site. I don’t think it is my best writing or has the ability to uplift and inspire. It is on this list because it is the only post I was scared to publish this year. It deserves a place of honor as a result. I don’t write about sex or anything beyond probably a PG rating so writing about sexual fetishes, cougars, sexual domination and more was such a stretch in my comfort as a writer. Some will laugh, thinking this is tame (Random Girl), but this is me putting it out there on a different level. No matter how we stretch ourselves, it always leads to growth. So, this post had to make the list.

5) After Seven Years I Finally Own This– Owning this issue was hard; writing about it was also difficult. For that reason, it made the list. It is still a challenge, but I have love and support surrounding this issue, as I do in all areas of my life. The support eases the difficulty of my new, strict diet, which is necessary for my health.

As promised, there’s a bonus post:

6) 40 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 40– Maybe I should not be listing something I just published yesterday, but I believe it belongs on the list. This one is special because it took me the longest to write this year: two weeks. I had a list written out, which I would take with me everywhere. I would take notes, cross things off, add items back on, etc. I put a lot of thought into it. This has also resonated for readers; yesterday was the second biggest traffic day since I started Naked Girl. It has been tweeted and posted by many and is gaining momentum to become one of my more popular posts.

Well, that’s it for 2011!

I look forward to starting 2012 with my family, friends, The Boyfriend, and you.

Thanks for being in my life…reading, sharing, and commenting here at Naked Girl.