Yes, It’s Time to Learn to Be Proud of Yourself

As a kid, I was confronted by the idea that pride went before a fall – that it wasn’t acceptable to be proud of something I had done. I could feel good about an accomplishment like acing a test, getting a good grade in a class, or earning a blue ribbon on one of my 4-H fair entries; but PRIDE, heavens no.

Pride was one of the seven deadly sins – the worst one in fact. Pride led to letting yourself feel you were better than someone else. At some point, proud people make an arrogant decision and fall to their demise.

Then, I went into teaching theater and literature. Pride was one of the tragic flaws that a literary character could have. I taught the Greek play Antigone where Oedipus, Antigone’s father, disregards the warnings of the gods – he is too proud to listen. I taught Caesar and The Great Gatsby; I taught Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.

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But, as I have come to realize, PRIDE in yourself and what you accomplish is part of developing your self-esteem and your self-respect. And without PRIDE in yourself, you can begin to doubt yourself. (“How to Kick Doubt Into the Past”)

If you have done your best, you deserve to be proud of yourself and your accomplishment.

• Remember that test you studied so hard for? The one you aced? Pat yourself on the back for doing a great job.
• Remember that race you won? Go ahead and congratulate yourself.
• Remember that audition you survived? Ok, you didn’t get the part, but you survived that first audition! Give yourself a high five.

You see, there are far too many people out there who are willing to minimize your accomplishments – You shouldn’t be one of them.

So go ahead and be proud of yourself when you

• lose that 10 pounds.
• finally get to the bottom of the never ending laundry pile.
• finish the novel you are reading.
• read for church without making a mistake.
• sing that solo.
• pass your driver’s test.

If you have done your best, go ahead and be proud of yourself. It will build that self-esteem. It will build your self-confidence.

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Take a moment and share an accomplishment that makes you proud of yourself in the comments below.

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Thanks for reading.

AND

As you move through your day-to-day activities and responsibilities, please remember to

Live Life –

Keep Things Simple –

Look for the Positive –

AND

Smile.

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