Often when people talk about pride, it’s from the standpoint of having too much and needing to be humble. If I may, I’d like to talk about it from another angle—healthy pride.
It is so important in this life to try to figure out who we are as people. A big part of this is developing a sense of being proud of ourselves and the things we hold dear to us. Very often, I look back at who I was, even just a few short years ago. I wasn’t proud of the person I was, but over time I made sure that I developed into someone that I could be proud of—someone that I hope others can honestly say they are proud to know. When I was a younger teenager, I had to do a lot of catching up and growing. I spent a lot of time being fed up and losing hope. I felt awkward. At times, I just didn’t care about much anything. But all the while I knew that there was some form of greatness within me that I just needed to tap in to (and I’m sure this sounds quite typical and/or cliché, but there’s more to it. Maybe we’ll come back to this later…).
I am the type of person that believes in putting my all into whatever it is I get myself into. If I’m not in it, then I have a hard time being motivated to do it at all. A few months ago, a good friend got me involved with dancing—west coast swing. And I love it. I can barely put into words what it feels like for me to dance. I can feel myself getting better at it and growing continually. Every time is a new experience. And there’s so much support in the dance community; it is truly a beautiful thing. I am so proud of myself as a dancer, the club at SVSU that I am a part of (Music n Motion, w00t w00t!), the people who have taught me, and the dance itself.
Also, I am learning to take pride in my writing. Four years ago, I wasn’t even writing poetry. And when I tried, I was terrible at it. I have come so far, and I know that I am still beginning. Just a day or so ago, I wrote a poem that I honestly believe to be the best one I have written yet. I can feel the power in it, and I know that I love it beyond just being its author.
Having healthy pride is so important, and I’m sure this is a topic I will revisit with more specific emphases.
Still, there are things that I am working on, as far as taking pride in myself and who I am. But, I am working on fixing the things that can be fixed, and accepting those that I cannot.
Shame is an ugly thing.
I <3 swing dancing too! I wish I had more time/money to do it this summer. It's really hard to explain my love for it. I've tried to write about it, and there's nothing that can really capture that feeling fully.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lot to be proud of, as a writer, a dancer, and a human being. I'm proud to call myself your friend.