Pride Personified

Have you ever contemplated the role that pride plays in our lives? Upon reflection, pride can have both a positive and negative impact on our lives. As with many things, it seems to come down to perspective, intention, and mindset.

There are many aspects of pride. The online dictionary provides various definitions:

A high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as

cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

The state or feeling of being proud.

A becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.

Pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself:civic pride.

Something that causes a person or persons to be proud

Pride in self, your work, creativity, and the unique characteristics that define who you are is essential. As we develop, change, and grow this pride may ebb and flow with the peaks and valleys of life. However, developing a sense of pride in who you are as a person regardless of circumstances is life changing.

On the challenging side? When a sense of pride is so inflated that it prohibits us. Prohibits us from understanding others, reaching out, connecting, or asking for help. This is when a sense of pride can almost become toxic within our lives; leaving an acidic taste in our mouth along with feeling immobilized, unsettled, or dormant. What to do? ACT: Acknowledge it, Challenge your thinking, and Take Action. We can't grow without the acknowledgment of our thoughts and feelings. Challenging your thinking doesn't have to be a negative exercise, it can be very cleansing to seek the "whys" to your thinking and determine whether they serve you. Taking action gives you the control to intentionally choose a course of action that helps you, your family, your community etc.

When can pride be divisive? Pride Month. Regardless of your stance on LGBTQ issues, I challenge you: It's not a pride thing, it's a love thing. Let love be love...