There are various reasons why you should be proud of yourself and while, it is not usually emphasized enough, it has a very significant impact on your success or failure.
Pride has different meanings. Sometimes people confuse being proud with being arrogant, self-centered, and narcissistic. However, that is not always the definition.
Being proud has positive connotations, too, especially self-pride. In this article, I will be sharing exciting insights on self-pride. But then, why is it important to be proud of yourself?
Being proud of yourself has a lot of importance that can affect your life positively. An individual who understands the true definition of self-pride is always confident, assertive, and bold. When you are proud of yourself, you will not be afraid to face your fears. In addition, self-pride makes you show gratitude and be thankful for the things in your life.
However, self-pride does not happen quickly. It takes a series of processes which include understanding why you should be proud of yourself and how to be proud of yourself.
It is important to ask certain questions about ourselves that could change our lives positively. However, self-pride must not be mistaken for arrogance.
The truth is, it takes a couple of life experiences to know the difference between self-pride and arrogance. So, I encourage you to set your biases aside and read along.
What It Means To Be Proud Of Yourself
When you are proud of yourself, it simply means you are happy with yourself and the things you have achieved — your goals, assets, and even your family.
Self-pride is far from being arrogant, haughty, and self-centered. But, unfortunately, when the word “pride” is mentioned, we are quick to interpret it negatively.
Being proud of yourself means realizing how much value you have as an individual. It also means that you have a strong sense of self-worth and self-confidence.
Being proud of yourself has a lot of advantages and positives. When you are proud of yourself, you are motivated to achieve more incredible things and treat people with love and respect.
It also helps you make the right decisions and many other factors. Hence, in this context, pride has nothing to do with negative behaviors.
When you are proud of yourself, it’s a sign that you’re becoming the person you’re meant to be. It is not rare to find people who admit that they are not proud of themselves.
When you observe their lifestyle, you may notice the same pattern:
- They are usually unhappy
- They may be suffering from depression or anxiety
- They display low self-esteem
- They display socially awkward behaviors and lack self-confidence
12 Reasons Why You Should Be Proud Of Yourself
You might have asked, why is it important to be proud of yourself? Sometimes, life is not a bed of roses, even for those born with a silver spoon. As you grow older and gain more experience, you will face many challenges.
You will have difficult moments and days when everything seems not to be working. However, if you are committed, motivated, and resilient enough, you will most likely scale through the hurdles of life.
Whether you are facing challenges or the difficult moments are now in the past, you have many reasons to be proud of yourself.
Here are twelve reasons why cultivating self-pride is not a bad idea.
1. You Are Alive To Experience Another Wonderful Day
Some people fail to realize how much of a gift being alive is. Of course, for many years, you have slept at night and woke up fully energized the following day.
Have you ever taken a moment to reflect on how important that is? It is okay to assume that waking up every morning is routine.
However, you must be proud that you wake up in a friendly environment, surrounded by your loved ones. Many people spend more time in the hospital; others are homeless and find it extremely difficult to have a good night’s rest.
For some, they don’t have the luxury of time to experience another wonderful day. So, next time when you wake up, have a sense of pride that you are among those who will experience this new day — with good health and shelter.
2. You Have Come So Far
When you ask why it is important to be proud of yourself, make sure you find answers, especially from your personal experience. Look at how far you have come from the day you were conscious of your existence to this very moment.
Think about the challenges you have faced, the hurdles you have scaled, the losses, the successes. When you think about these things, you realize that you have come far and are still on the right path.
That alone is an important reason why you should be proud of yourself. You most likely started the race of life with many others. While some are still alive and in the race with you, others are no more or have quit.
Yet, you are still forging ahead and making progress each day. Is this not enough reason to be proud of yourself? Of course, it is.
3. You Have Faced Your Fears And Conquered Them
It is a normal human feeling to be anxious about the challenges ahead. It is okay to have fears about certain things in your life, but letting your worries dominate your life is not okay.
Facing your fears is the most effective way to conquer your limitations and achieve great things. While growing up, one of the limitations I had was how to start a new chapter in my life. It affected me until I quit my first job.
Let me explain. I was always afraid of going to a new class back in my elementary school days. Although I was among the brightest pupils in my class, I often struggled to adjust.
I always assumed that going to a new class meant more challenging academic exercises and stress.
Perhaps it was the reason why I would perform relatively poorly in the first term of each academic session but excellently in subsequent terms.
In high school and college, I had the same experience too. Before I got my first job, I almost did not attend the interview! I was afraid I would fail and not get hired for weird reasons.
Luckily, I spoke to one of my friends about it, and she challenged me to go for the interview and give it my best shot. She said she believed I would make the cut that all I had to do was face my fears.
So I went for the interview and passed without any problem. A few months later, I had an incredible business idea that I couldn’t work on, except I quit my job. Yet, I was too afraid to quit. I still couldn’t face my fears.
When I realized that my most significant limitation was not to conquer my fears, I decided to leave the job and focus on my business goal. Today, it is one of the best decisions I’ve ever taken in my life.
Your goals and dreams may never come into reality if you allow your fears to dictate your life. Therefore, every time you have faced your fears and conquered, you must be incredibly proud of yourself.
If you struggle with facing your fears, here are some tips that could help you overcome your fears.
4. You Are Achieving Your Goals
When people ask me questions like, “why is it important to be proud of yourself?” I often reply with this statement: “Look at you. Look at how far you have come and how you are now achieving your goals. Isn’t it a thing of pride?”
Goal-driven people will do almost anything to achieve their goals. When they eventually accomplish their objectives, they are proud that they didn’t quit or change their minds.
That feeling of pride and satisfaction can push them to greater heights and encourage them to expand their dreams.
Therefore, whenever you accomplish something in life, be proud of yourself—pat yourself on the back and toast to the better days ahead.
5. You Have Accomplishments Ahead To Look Forward To
Sometimes we face particular challenges on our way to the top. We may think things will not be better because of the unpleasant things we experience while trying to succeed.
Yet, we fail to remember that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. When you begin to realize that the goals you have set today will eventually turn into accomplishments, you will have every reason to be proud of yourself.
If you observe that the seeds you planted some time ago will soon turn into trees, you will develop a sense of pride that you did not stop watering them along the line.
6. You Have Had A Significant Impact On Humanity
You don’t need to have all the luxuries in this world to impact humanity significantly. It is often those who have little but offer much who are more proud of themselves.
There is an excellent feeling of pride, happiness, and satisfaction with giving — no matter how little.
Some of the most remarkable people in history who have died, died knowing fully well that their contributions to humanity will last forever.
Yet, they were proud of their achievements and impacts. Former South African President and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela must have died with pride.
His contribution to black history and discrimination against black Africans will forever be discussed.
In our world today, the likes of Bill Gates, Ben Carson, Marcus Rashford, and many others would be proud of themselves for their immense contributions to different aspects of life.
Nevertheless, ordinary people like you and me have impacted humanity but are not talked about. We are the unsung heroes.
We can be proud of ourselves for the little things we have done to ensure the human race thrives in love, compassion, peace, and kindness.
7. You Haven’t Given Up On Your Dreams
Life sometimes works in the most unpredictable ways. We may have a clear goal on what we hope to achieve in the future and make the right plans to ensure our dreams become a reality.
However, along the way, certain challenges and obstacles tend to push us backward or discourage our pursuit of success.
While some people may want to quit because of the unpredictable burdens they would face, others continue to forge ahead.
If you are one of those who do not let life’s obstacles discourage your dreams, then you have every reason to be proud of yourself. I assure you that someday, your dreams will eventually come to pass.
8. You Are Resilient In Every Situation
Not everyone has the mental capacity to show resilience in tough situations. Some people easily break down when things become challenging.
Regardless of the problem, a resilient person will continue going forward no matter how slow. They only have one thing in their minds — moving forward.
While you face some challenges but won’t quit anytime soon, take a moment and appreciate yourself. Be proud that you are motivated to continue going forward until you reach the apex of your desires. Never quit pushing.
9. You Have Learned A Lot And Grown From Your Mistakes
One of the essential gifts life gives us is the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Imagine your life in a classroom where you are the student and your experiences function as the teacher.
When you make a mistake while solving a problem, your teacher will eventually help you make the necessary corrections. After that, however, it is left for you to learn from the corrections and perform better in subsequent classwork.
This is how life works. You make mistakes, your experiences teach you many lessons, and you eventually learn from your mistakes.
When you learn from your mistakes, you have to be proud of yourself and be confident about getting things right in the future. Remember, mistakes are not meant to bring you down but take you to the highest points.
10. You Have Finally Let Go Of The Past
The truth is, it is always challenging to learn from the past, especially when you have had traumatic experiences. Many people get depressed in the later stages of their lives because of their childhood experiences.
But, of course, some other people have the exceptional ability to let go of the past and look at the brighter future ahead.
No matter what your situation is — if you have forgotten about your horrible past — you should be proud of yourself. This is one of the biggest reasons it is important to be proud of yourself.
11. You Are No Longer Afraid Of Failure
When you are afraid of failure, there is no way you can learn from your mistakes. As human beings, we are not structured to be generally successful all the time. In reality, no one has the Midas touch.
Therefore, you must always prepare your mind for the worst that could happen. When you eventually experience failure, make sure you learn from your mistakes and avoid them in the future.
The inevitability of failure doesn’t mean you should let it cripple you. As a matter of fact it means you should face the possibility of failure head-on while being aware that it could also be success.
People who are not afraid to fail will likely not fail. You must understand that these things have psychological effects. When you program your mind that something will happen, that event will likely occur.
Be proud of yourself for not being afraid to fail. You are one incredible, mentally-strong individual!
12. You Can Take Care Of Yourself And Loved Ones
A beautiful feeling of pride and satisfaction comes with realizing that you can fend for yourself and your family. When you look around and see that everyone is doing just fine due to your efforts, you will become proud of yourself.
Such feeling pushes you to do better and help people who are not even close to you. Three years ago, I lost one of my maternal Uncles. Uncle Jim was one of the most beautiful humans I’ve ever encountered.
Before he fell ill due to old age, he would make sure he visited at least two extended family members on weekends. He never minded how much distance he had to cover to see his loved ones.
He always said that his family was the source of his pride. Before he died, he told us that his most significant accomplishment was being able to take care of his family and loved ones.
He even said that he would do it again if there was a next life. After his funeral, my mom told us how Uncle Jim was instrumental in making his siblings gain quality education and financial freedom.
She said Uncle Jim always derived joy in helping people; he always said he was glad to take care of his family and loved ones. Not a lot of people can do this.
So it is a plus in your book if you fall under this category. Be it financial, emotional, or mental support. It is a win for you.
What Are The Benefits Of Being Proud Of Yourself
Ever wondered why it is important to be proud of yourself? Did you ever get an answer? If you didn’t, you will after reading this part of the article. Being proud of yourself comes with a lot of benefits.
When you’re proud of yourself, you will have more reasons to do better in life. Below are the answers to the questions that probably troubles you: why is it important to be proud of yourself
1. Assertiveness In Self-expression
Assertiveness means being self-assured, much more aware of your personality. When you are proud of yourself, you become more assertive and expressive.
You know that you control your life and won’t let anyone or anything dictate how you live your life. Of course, this does not translate to being rude, arrogant, or cocky.
It simply means you have respect for yourself as much as you have for other people.
2. High Level Of Self-confidence
If you are proud of yourself, you will always express it through the confidence you put out for others to see.
When people hear you speak or observe how you behave, they will see an individual who is proud of what they have become, clearheaded with a strong passion for achieving great things.
3. Getting To Have The Right People Around You
When you are proud of yourself, you will be filled with positive energy. So, it’s only logical that you want to be surrounded by people who resonate in the same frequency as you.
Hence, you have the right people in your circle.
4. Becoming More Involved And Opinionated
Take a moment and observe how the world works. You may realize that most people at the top of the social ladder are proud of themselves and their accomplishments.
The best athletes take pride in being among the fastest people on earth and work harder to improve their abilities.
The top CEOs are proud that they control one of the most prominent organizations globally and would work harder to maintain its standard.
These excellent people are often treated with respect and care. When they talk, people tend to listen. This is why some famous people in different fields tend to be involved in their country’s political affairs.
For example, soccer great George Weah is the current President of his nation, Liberia. This is because his soccer career paved the way for him.
Other sports greats who have been heavily involved in their nation’s political affairs include Manny Pacquiao, Romario, and Vitali Klitschko.
These people became more engaged because they first cultivated self-pride through their achievements.
5. Treating Others With Love And Respect
There is pride in treating people with love and respect. Also, in return, they will respect you. If you are proud of yourself, you love and care about who you are.
Sometimes, the way we treat people reflects how we treat ourselves. For example, people angry about and unhappy with their lives tend to be more aggressive and less friendly to others.
Therefore, when you are proud, you will most likely extend the love and respect for yourself to others.
6. Making The Right Choices
Making the right decisions can often happen when you have a clear mindset and are proud of your achievements. Self-pride makes you motivated to achieve more incredible things.
When you have a strong will or motivation to achieve great things, you will mostly make the right choices on your way to the highest possible levels.
7. Knowing Your Worth And Value
Why is it important to be proud of yourself? Self-pride makes you realize how much value you have. It makes you see yourself as an outstanding person who can achieve more significant things.
When you recognize your worth and take pride in that, people will also hold you in high regard.
8. Keeps You Mentally And Physically Healthy
A proud individual is filled with so many positive emotions. You may hardly ever find them in a sad or angry state.
People who are always happy show apparent signs of being mentally healthy.
They are also physically fit because they want to take care of themselves and improve their lives. Hence this is a good reason why it is important to be proud of yourself.
9. Helps You Enjoy The Best Things Life Has To Offer
When you are proud of yourself and the things you have accomplished, you may want to reward yourself with some of the best things in life; especially when you can afford them.
No matter how much you have invested in yourself, it would be best if you didn’t bother about it. You deserve all the best gifts and rewards.
Go on a vacation with friends and loved ones and visit the most excellent locations you have always wanted to go to. Have as much fun as you can because you have worked so hard to ensure you achieve your goals.
So, self-pride lets you have beautiful moments and enjoy life.
10. Makes You Want To Achieve More
This is one of the most significant advantages of being proud of yourself. So naturally, you would want to achieve more to boost whatever hormones are responsible for that feeling of pride.
This is why you see top individuals who are world-famous trying to outdo their previous accomplishments. They are proud of themselves but want to be prouder.
11. Boosts Your Self-esteem
We often think that people with low self-esteem are like that because they were born that way. This is largely untrue. Most times, low self-esteem is a result lack of motivation and the desire to achieve more.
If you are motivated enough to achieve your goals and eventually do, you will become proud of yourself.
This, in turn, would boost your self-esteem to the extent that you don’t chicken out when there is a new challenge in front of you.
12. Makes You Unique And Outstanding
Having self-pride makes you different from other people. Since you know your worth and are proud of your achievements, it makes you feel special.
Of course, you must first see yourself as one for people to consider you as a special person. Hence being proud of yourself makes you unique and outstanding in a gathering of many.
Conclusion
I am convinced that this article must have provided quality answers to this critical question: why is it important to be proud of yourself. I am glad that you have read all the points I highlighted in the article.
If you have, I am sure you now know a couple of things about self-pride — the whats and whatnots. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many beautiful things to learn from us.
Hence, I encourage you to join our constantly-growing platform, Little Step, Big Miles on Facebook and Instagram. We provide tips and solutions to important questions about social issues and lifestyles.
Some of the most interesting people on our platform seek to help one another experience growth in every aspect of their lives. So why not join us today and become a better and much prouder version of yourself?
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