I’m Proud of You!

You are intelligent. You are creative. You are inspiring.

How many times do we actually take time to pat ourselves on the back for accomplishing what we have thus far?

Often times we get so caught up in trying to achieve a particular end goal that we forget to acknowledge the tiny steps that we are making and the accomplishments along the way that are helping us to get one step closer to our big dream.

It’s so important to take time and reflect on all that you have accomplished in your life, not just as a driving force to help you to continue to push even harder but also as a means to reaffirm yourself that even though you’re not quite there just yet, you’re one step closer and progress is what it’s all about.

Many people wait for others to affirm them. While it is a good feeling to know that someone else is proud of you, there is nothing quite like being proud of yourself. When we can find the encouragement that we need on our own by first seeking God and looking within ourselves, we no longer need to depend on others for affirmation. At the end of the day, if we constantly seek validation from others and one day we stop receiving that validation it will have a negative impact on our self-worth. This is why we can’t wait for someone to say “Good job” or “Excellent performance!” If you know you did your best then you should feel proud of yourself regardless of whether someone tells you they’re proud of you or not.

Every step of the journey is worth taking time out to realize just how far you’ve come. There’s nothing quite like seeing where you used to be and seeing your growth when you compare it to where you are now, whether it’s spiritually, emotionally, academically or physically. And even if you feel like you’re at a worse place now than you were before, that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up for it. Only you truly know your story and what you went through. Sometimes things may not have gone as planned or tragedy may have struck but that’s all the reason why you should be proud of yourself because everything that was placed in your life to break you only made you stronger.

Be proud of yourself because you did that! You defied the odds, you proved the naysayers wrong and kudos to you if you’re exactly where you want to be and keep pushing if you’re not quite there yet. I’m proud of you and you should be too! 🙂