Pride is different than self-love.
Please reflect and share. How does this play out in your life?
All of us have talents and traits we appreciate in ourselves. There are also personal accomplishments about which we feel good. Each of us has something that spurs us to feel satisfied to, some degree, with ourselves.
When we feel proud, there is often an element of comparison involved. If we feel accomplished because we’ve exceeded our own prior limitations, that’s relevant. If our pride arises from bettering someone else’s achievement, ego is certainly involved.
Self-love calls us to cherish and appreciate ourselves as we are while celebrating our successes, as well. Denigrating someone else to make ourselves feel better is the opposite of self-love, If we can only accept ourselves at another’s expense, no real love is involved. We are simply trying to hate ourselves less than we hate the other.
Today’s message reminds me that self-love is where it’s at. When I nurture, cherish, and appreciate myself, others’ opinions, actions, and accomplishments don’t pertain. I am only focused on being grateful for and enjoying the experience of being me. Self-love is the key to feeling good about myself.
How about you? What is your take on self-love and pride?