Getting that coveted position at work or being named valedictorian are wonderful accomplishments.
But while those achievements are nothing to scoff at, there are other moments in life outside the workplace or classroom worthy of praise.
A pat on the back for a job well done was sometimes more satisfying than a plaque on the wall for some of these people when Redditor Inevitable_jalapeno asked:
"What is your biggest non-academic, non work-related accomplishment?"
You might find some of these relatable.
Coming to the aid of those in their time of need or while in distress have got to be one of life's biggest accomplishments.
Stepping Up After Tragedy
"Adopted my little sister (16) when I was 21 after my father murdered my mother helped her finish school and kept a room over her head till she was old enough to move out on her own."
Passed Out And Saved
"When I was a kid, I saw a guy passed out drunk on the side of the road. Neither of my parents noticed, so I said something. We went back and my dad went to check on him. It was around 20 degrees Farenheit out and he was wearing a thin jacket and pajama pants. My dad (who is a paramedic) told me I quite possibly saved his life that night."
Lady In Distress
"Saved a lady from drowning at the Outer Banks about 10 years ago."
Upright Citizen
"I was driving down a two lane road one night and saw an upside down electric wheelchair. I thought to myself 'that's an expensive thing to trash' and then I saw an arm reach up. The poor guy couldn't talk and only had one working limb. He was cursing downy the road and caught the edge and flipped. His chair was too heavy and the landscape wasn't conducive for me to flip it alone. I called the ambulance which was 20+ min out and tried to flag passing cars down. No one stopped for about 10 minutes (~ 60 or so cars). Finally a truck stopped and the guy was able to help me flip him back up."
Animal Lover
"I saved over 100 cats in my lifetime and I feel happy thinking about it."
These laudable achievements make one feel as if they've arrived.
A Mouthful
"I ate a triple burrito in one sitting ten years ago, for which I won a t-shirt. I still wear the shirt from time to time."
Strawberry's My Jam
"Not that exciting, but I'm still pretty proud: winning a blue ribbon at a state fair for my strawberry jam. My husband loves to brag about it, and it makes me feel pretty special when he does."
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"My old band got played on a local radio station a few times."
– circa319
"The same thing for my band too. The university radio station liked us so much, they recorded one of our songs for a local music CD."
Magical Garden
"Growing veggies and herbs without killing them. And making pickles/jams/infused butter with the results. So that's pretty cool I guess."
Power Of Healing
"My stroke recovery. I can walk, use my left hand and I can cook again. Things aren't perfect but considering that I couldn't pick my head off of the pillow the day after last Christmas I am doing fantastic."
Impressive Play
"running the table at pool where after the other person broke and i sank every single one of my balls and the eight ball in one turn (i'm not usually good at pool). a stranger came up to me said it was one of the greatest things he's ever seen. I think about this often lol."
– fetanose
Taking care of yourself is an accomplishment that can be more rewarding than any trophy.
Growing A Backbone
"I stood up for myself with my family and set boundaries. Then I actually kept them."
"I had a very abusive and traumatic childhood. Standing up for myself when I was a child always resulted in pain of some kind. This was a huge step for me."
Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes
"Probably not the biggest but I flat out slapped this random man on the street after he grabbed my a** .My hand shook for almost the rest of the day but I was so proud of myself!"
– Kali_B
It's never too late to discover one's own hidden capabilities or talents and getting recognized for them.
Stranger In A Strange Land
"I moved to a foreign country where I knew only 1 person and didn't speak the language and managed to independently make it and now I call it home."
– mejok
Getting Crafty
"Taught myself to crochet. I'm not terrible at it."
"Me too! Go us. I particularly love chunky yarn - the projects finish faster that way haha."
Amateur Artist
"An artist at a major animation studio saw my fanart and shared it on their Tumblr, they commented on how funny they thought it was. That was years ago but it felt great."
Published
"I briefly became a published comic book author as a side hustle. My first issue sold out at a retailer level across the globe on day one. Super proud of that."
Throughout my musical theater performing career, I've been what's known as a swing. Swings are essentially an understudy for most of the male ensembles in a show and I would go on at any given time at a moment's notice to cover an injured performer or someone who called out sick.
That meant I had to know – in some cases – up to nine ensemble tracks and be able to integrate myself into the show seamlessly.
For every time I did not get shoved by a fellow performer for being in the wrong place on stage or missing a costume change, I gave myself a huge pat on the back by the curtain call.
And then I would go home and enjoy a glass or two of well-earned vino to calm my nerves from safely finishing the performance unscathed.