Another year, another birthday, and another chance to reflect. As I celebrate my 20th birthday today, I cannot help but reflect on my 20 years of life so far. At first, I found myself kind of disappointed with all that I have accomplished and experienced in comparison to other amazing 20-year olds like Malala Yousafzai. You know how sometimes you have those people in your life who seem to have their life more “put together” than you? You can’t help but feel a little jealous when you see their photos on social media or hear stories about their adventures and accomplishments?

Yeah. Sometimes I just feel like my life is just normal, cliche, even boring and would make for a horrible movie that would put everyone to sleep.

As I thought some more about this past year, I realized that I shouldn’t be so jealous. While my life might not be a thrilling blockbuster, I live a very blessed life. Oprah once said that,

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

So I’m going to celebrate my life more, from the big to more subtle accomplishments and experiences that have all shaped me into the young woman I am today. Rather than focusing on what I have not done or experienced yet, I am choosing to focus on what I have in a reverse bucket list. In contrast to a bucket list, a reverse bucket list is a list of things you’ve already accomplished and experienced in life. Anything you’re proud of and helped shape you into who you are.

So I’d like to share with you some of the items on mine:

1. Graduated high school in 2016.

2. Made a scrapbook of high school memories.

3. Saw a Broadway show.

4. Went up in the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.

5. Saw Van Gogh's art work in person.

6. Went on a road trip with friends to Chicago.

7. Ran in a color run.

8. Helped lead retreats.

9. Watched all episodes of "How I Met Your Mother."

10. Learned to say the alphabet backwards.

11. Learned to play the tenor sax.

12. Watched a movie at a drive-in.

13. Ran around in an inflatable hamster ball.

14. Swam with sea turtles, fed giraffes, plus touched stingrays and sharks.

15. Zip-lined over the tree tops.

16. Rode first class on an airplane.

17. Experienced the magic of Harry Potter world.

18. Saw 30 different bands and singers in concert.

19. Played in the pep band at a woman's NCAA basketball tournament game.

20. Explored myself as a writer.

I dare you to make your own reverse bucket list today. For me it’s a great reminder of how blessed I am and why my life is unique. So consider what accomplishments or experiences make YOU and your life unique. What are you proud of? Nothing is insignificant, and neither are you.

365 new days, 365 new chances. I plan to live my life to the fullest and celebrate each accomplishment this year. Will you?