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Be proud of yourself. It’s been a long journey of ups and downs, but somehow you’ve managed to make it this far.

We live in a society that wants to tear everybody down often. None of us are perfect.

We’ve made mistakes and had regrets. We all have decisions we wish we could take back.

Despite it all, there are many reasons we can all be proud of ourselves today. I hope these reminders will encourage you to be proud of yourself more.

Before we go through them, let’s discuss why it’s important to be proud of yourself.

Why is it important to be proud of yourself?

From first-hand experience, most people aren’t that interested in being proud of you. As legendary football coach Lou Holtz once said, “Half the people don’t care if you have problems, and the other half are glad you got em.”

Similar to this statement, most people are focused on their own accomplishments and achievements. It may not necessarily be that they don’t care about your accomplishments, but it’s just not first on their mind.

You don’t have to wait for someone else to pat you on the back for what you’ve done in life. No other person is as invested and committed to your future than you.

You are the only person that’s on the clock for your life 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. By that logic, it seems like the person we should most want to receive approval from, and most want to make proud is ourselves.

3 Reminders to Be Proud of Yourself

1. Be proud of yourself for how hard you are trying

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 be proud of yourself.

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.

There was a study that found when high school science students learned about the personal and intellectual failures of Einstein, their grades improved. Those that only learned about their successes saw their grades decline.

It’s because when people only view success as based on natural aptitude, they’re more likely to quit after failures. When people view success as a process of trial and error, people are more likely to keep trying after failure until they succeed.

Be encouraged to figure out what you did wrong, and continue improving, so you can not only be proud of yourself for trying but perhaps eventually be proud of yourself for succeeding too.

2. Be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, somehow you’ve managed to make this far. Think about all the obstacles you had to overcome.

I bet not a lot of people couldn’t have gone through what you did. That’s something to be proud of.

A research study found when you reflect on your experiences and what you’ve learned from them, it can help you do better in life. 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.

I imagine you can learn the same lesson too when you really think about how far you’ve come in your own life.

3. Be proud of yourself for who you are

I would guess there are not many people like you in this world. Most people I’ve met find they’ve never met anyone like me.

Before you think I say that arrogantly, most of those people thought that in a way that wasn’t exactly the most complimentary. Nonetheless, I took it as a compliment, and you should too if that’s the case for you.

In thinking about myself, I’m proud of who I am in how kind, thoughtful, and understanding I try to be. It’s not something everybody values most in people, but it is what I value.

What is it about you that you’re proud of? Be proud of yourself for those unique qualities you value in yourself.

Take time to accept your qualities, because they can make you feel more satisfied in life. Be more compassionate when it comes to your flaws. It can make you more optimistic and potentially less depressed and anxious.

Is it okay to be proud of yourself?

Pride is a quality that’s often rejected in society. It’s understandable that having pride that looks down on others isn’t a good thing.

As I mentioned in my post, “How to Be Confident but Humble”, it’s important to have a balance between confidence and humility. Everyone should feel good about themselves without making anyone feel bad about themselves.

The point where you make someone else feel bad is the point where you’re no longer just appreciating yourself, and you’re now being arrogant and self-centered.

How can I be more proud?

If you have a problem with low self-esteem, you’re not alone. Many people do.

Fortunately, there are also many ways you can improve your self-esteem. Here’s how to be proud of yourself. One way is through exercise.

While you might not love exercise, it can actually make you feel better about yourself. Research has proven those who exercise tend to have higher self-esteem.

In addition to exercising, you can also practice using positive affirmations. This can help counter your negative self-talk and lessen your feelings of sadness about yourself.

Doing these and just making progress in life will help you be more proud of yourself, and enjoy your life more. I’ll leave you with some quotes that summarize the message of this post.

Be proud of yourself quotes

“Allow yourself to be proud of yourself and all the progress you’ve made. Especially the progress that no one else has seen.” – Unknown

“Be proud of yourself, you’re doing your best.” – Unknown

“Always be proud of yourself and understand that it’s your individuality that makes you beautiful.” – Mark Feehily

“If you want to be proud of yourself, then do things you can take pride in.” – Karen Horney

“Do one thing today to make you feel proud of yourself” – Unknown

Love yourself quotes

“Don’t forget to lover yourself.” – Soren Kierkegaard

“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” – Rupi Kaur

“Love yourself instead of loving the idea of loving the idea of other people loving you.” – Unknown

Ted Talk on Self-esteem

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