Being proud of yourself or having strong self-compassion is considered by some as being key to a happy, fulfilling, and successful life.

Are You Proud of Yourself?
We allow ourselves to gush with pride over our kids, our friends, our dog, etc.  It’s ok to be proud of anything and everything else.  When it comes to ourselves we’re often mute on the subject.  Everyone has something to be proud of but we’re afraid to allow ourselves that pat on the back.  Is it the fear we’ll be seen as boastful that holds our self-pride down? 

“It takes strength to be proud of yourself and to accept yourself when you know that you have something out of the ordinary about you.” – Abigail Tarttelin.

Being proud of yourself is just another way of saying you have a strong sense of self-worth. People who are proud of themselves tend to have a great passion for life, feel content and grateful, and are excellent at motivating others.

Here are some simple daily reminders to get you started:

Learn and Grow:
Since you are human, if you’re willing to focus and push yourself, you will grow. Don’t be too disappointed by your failures. I once watched this video on famous failures, and I found it to be really inspiring. Perhaps this will inspire you too. Be encouraged to figure out what you did wrong, and continue improving, so you can not only feel proud of yourself for trying but perhaps eventually feel proud for succeeding too.

Earn Credibility with Yourself:
If you really want to win over your negative self-talk start doing things that build momentum in your life and make you feel good about yourself. One important way to do that is to tell yourself that you are going to do something and then stick with it. It can be the smallest of things, but do one thing every day that if you do it, you know you’ll be proud of yourself. Start small. This is one of the most important things you can do in life.

Practice Gratitude:
It’s not enough to do this once or sporadically. You need to practice gratitude regularly. You get more of what you focus on. If you focus on things that you’re grateful for suddenly you’ll start seeing things to be grateful for everywhere. Take the time to acknowledge them all. Again, start small – a smile, the wind, your health, etc. The evidence for the positive effects of gratitude is really impressive.

Develop Positive Self-Statements/ Affirmations:
You need to develop positive self-statements that you tell yourself when doubt and negativity start to creep into your life. It is very easy to let negative thoughts take over so you need some positive statements that you find empowering and uplifting.

Be proud of how far you have come:
When we reflect on our experiences and what we have learned from them, it can help us do better in our life. Personally speaking; I think about a lot of things I’ve endured in my life. Some of those things were really painful and really challenging. Through it all, it taught me that I can push through almost anything in life.

Be Patient with Yourself:
There’s an old quote that says something along the lines of, “Failure means that you’re trying.” What I take from it is that it’s a success enough in itself that you’re actually trying in life. Of course, ideally, you want to see that your efforts are showing signs of improvement. Still, the fact that you haven’t given up, and you’re trying your best, is reason enough to feel proud of yourself.

Be Proud of Other People
Let them know that you’re proud of them and why. The kinder you are to other people the kinder they’ll be to you. We feel good after receiving a compliment because someone noticed something about us that we already feel but are too self-loathing to articulate.

From my heart to yours; I feel that you are capable, worthy, and resilient. Be proud of yourself. Stop being so negative about yourself. You are unique and awesome!

Love and light,
Manali