Is it okay to be proud of ourselves? Seriously, is it?
I think it is, and I also think we’re conditioned to think it’s not. We’re conditioned to believe that being proud of ourselves somehow makes us too full of ourselves, or too self-centered.
But I think we can be proud of ourselves, and, in fact, I think we should be.
I remember babies and little children, and how full of themselves they are. Until we teach them not to be. They take a first step and we’re not the only ones who are delighted. They’re delighted too. They hit the ball out of the park, or at least hit the ball, and you can see the pride and pure glee shining on their faces. They know when they’re hot s—t, and they’re not ashamed to admit it.
Until we teach them not to.
I think we all deserve to take that same delight and glee in ourselves. We deserve to acknowledge when we accomplish something, even if it’s something as simple as making it through a tough day. We deserve to feel overcome with pride and satisfaction when we bring a smile to someone’s face, or get through a challenging task, or run six miles (if you’re me), or get up into a handstand without leaning on the wall (again, if you’re me), or get dinner on the table, or write or paint or create in anyway.
It’s okay to be proud of ourselves, whether or not someone else is proud of us as well. It’s okay, in my mind, to call out how great we are, or how much effort we’re putting in, or how little effort we’re putting in (if that’s an accomplishment, like it can sometimes be for me).
IMHO, it’s okay to be proud of the people around us, and it’s okay to be proud of ourselves. Let’s all be unabashedly proud and delighted and gleeful and even a bit self-centered. And let’s enjoy it!
I’d love to hear your thoughts, and please share this post with others if it resonates with you!
Photo Credit: SergiyN/Bigstock.com
