What Makes You Proud of Yourself?

I’ll be completely honest with you - this week has been a difficult one. I’ve fought with my emotions many times, wondering why I feel so broken, and questioned whether I may be ‘unfixable’. But that’s okay, I am human. We have good weeks, we have bad weeks, and we can’t always be as strong as we wish we were. It’s how we move forward from the bad times that really shape us as people.

Fortunately I have better coping methods than I used to, and after a difficult week one of my favourite ways of healing recently has been to write down something I am proud of myself for. This used to be a difficult task for me, as I don’t feel particularly ‘productive’ or ‘useful’ in any aspect of my life. It’s very hard to feel proud of yourself when it seems that your peers have achieved so much more than you. This was until I realised that achievements cannot be compared, and it seems no one has life truly figured out. Most of us are simply pretending to know what we are doing, and hoping eventually we figure out what the meaning of all of this really is.

So, when reflecting on what I was proud of myself for this week, I had a lot more to write than usual. I am proud of myself for so many things, and I am doing so well being exactly who I am. I am proud of myself for simply getting out of bed. I am proud of myself for letting myself experience emotions and work through them in a positive way. I am proud of myself for everything I have been through and come out the other side a stronger person.

I’m proud of myself every single day for simply surviving. And I beg you to treat yourself with the same kindness I have learned to treat myself with.