As I move closer towards these last few days in my beloved Glasgow, there are so many thoughts going through my head. First, how almost 144 days are over, and how they moved by so quickly. Second, immense pride in how much I have grown over these past few months. Pride, I’ve realized, is often hard to come by in oneself. Often times, we can so easily find pride in the actions of others--whether they are big achievements, or small victories. But pride in oneself, in how far you’ve come in your own personal development, that is much rarer to come by. When I find my friends being too hard on themselves, I often tell them this, “Think about everything you are doing well in your life right now. You have come so far, I am so proud of you.” Lately, I’ve been working on taking some pride in how far I’ve come, and celebrating that.
"This semester has taught me a lot about validation, and how it is difficult to reach a point where you are not seeking validation from those around you."
A lot of pride I have in myself comes from the lessons that I have learned since coming to Glasgow five months ago. Since I came here, I’ve pushed myself, I’ve literally hiked up a mountain, become better at letting go, slowed down to enjoy the world around me, and traveled all across Europe. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been incredible. But, it’s also been difficult at times.
“Think about everything you are doing well in your life right now. You have come so far, I am so proud of you.”
Backpacking around Europe for 26 days was no easy feat, my traveling partners can attest to that. We laughed a lot on that trip, but we all cried too. Whether it was out of pure exhaustion, frustration, or forgetting to eat a snack--at some point crying on the floor of the bathroom in Naples doesn’t seem half bad (okay that last one was just me). But the point of all of that was to say, that while it might not have been easy, it showed me a lot about what I can handle, how snacks are important, how there is no shame in heading back to your hotel early, and how traveling is extremely tiring. But I’m proud that I made it through it, even though it wasn’t always simple and easy.
One of my biggest tips for building your confidence is becoming proud of yourself for all of the incredible things you are doing in your life. This semester has taught me a lot about validation, and how it is difficult to reach a point where you are not seeking validation from those around you.
When you validate yourself, whether it is through saying “I got out of bed today and I am proud of myself for that” or “I finished a really hard paper, go me!” then you are achieving self-validation from just recognizing all of the incredible things you are already doing. It may seem simple, but even saying those simple things can make a world of difference!
"Pride, I’ve realized, is often hard to come by in oneself."
It is so hard to believe that this whirlwind of a semester is coming to an end, but I am so proud of myself for making the most of it and learning so much along the way. This week, ask yourself: What are you proud of?
