4 Reasons You Should Be Proud Of Yourself Today (Yes, You)

Ok, the world is going through a lot right now: basic human rights are being threatened and violated, there’s the increasingly plausible threat of the next World War looming over us, everything feels like it’s getting more expensive, and we all seem to hate each other; sometimes we really do, and sometimes (sometimes. In my belief, this shouldn't be normalized) with good reason. Some may say we have collectively lost the plot. Some of us––so many of us––are just plain tired, anxious, and/or scared.

Maybe you’re reading this right now with the news on in the background, some political pundit talking about why they, and only they, know The Truth©. Maybe you just rolled your eyes. Maybe you’re unable to buy that house you really want, or are working at a job you can’t stand, still struggling to make ends meet. Maybe you have your own personal stuff going on that exacerbates your overall fatigue, which seems to be the sticker price of existing in 2025.

During times like these, when nothing seems to make sense and everything seems designed to push us over the edge, we may fail to take care of ourselves. We may say, “Screw it, what’s the point of anything?” In fact, all of this negativity seems to be seeping into our everyday lives, which in turn affects our self-esteem and self-perception. We deserve better. We deserve to care about ourselves and our mental health, even though it can be tricky to reconcile current affairs with our individual lives and the lives of those in our community. But you––yes, you––are doing your best, even if it may not feel like it. Here are four reasons you should feel proud of yourself today and cut yourself a little slack. God only knows how much we can all use some.

You have already overcome so much.

Maybe you didn’t grow up disenfranchised or have had any objectively horrible things happen to you. However, living comes with its own inherent challenges and obstacles, of which you have lived to tell the tale, whether it was leaving that toxic relationship, getting laid off, losing a close friend, struggling with…I’m not going to even try to make a grocery list. You have gotten through a lot, even if you may not be conscious of it. You’re resilient.

You’ve made someone feel better.

Again, you may not be aware of this, but at some point in your life––maybe recently––you have made someone smile, or laugh, or feel just 1% better. Maybe you’ve listened to someone vent, or texted a friend a funny gif or reference to an inside joke when they tell you they’re down. Maybe right now, someone’s thinking about these very instances. No matter the specifics, you’ve changed someone for the better, even if it was temporarily. That is something to feel good about.

You have evolved (for the better).

You’re the same person you were when you were younger, but you also might be completely different. Your perspective has changed. You have found ways to effectively demonstrate kindness, genuine kindness. You’ve picked up a new skill, or gotten a degree, or found out that what works for some people just doesn’t work for you. Whatever it is, you’ve changed in some way; you are wiser today than you were five or ten years ago. Know that where you are right now is where you’re meant to be.

You’re still here.

You’re. Still. Here.

Why should you listen to me? I’m not a life coach. I can’t even take these words to heart so much of the time. It’s hard sometimes. It’s so, so hard sometimes.

In all honesty, maybe I encourage you to think about these things partially because I want to feel good about myself, and I want the people I care about to, as well. If we could all try to be just a bit more gracious to ourselves, that’s certain to rub off on others around us. Perhaps by building ourselves up, we’re doing our part to build up the world. It sounds cheesy, but if that’s what it takes to make a difference, it’s worth it.