"I am Proud of You"

The power of these five words can be overwhelming. I always cringe a little when someone says they are proud of me, but they are very healing words, words that can give that one little shove to do the right thing. To keep on track, to become whole again. When I realized that these words had such a healing effect on me I started to tell other people that I am proud of them. Proud of who they are, proud of them because it’s not easy, this life, what we have to go through and that we are able to stick to the Path.

Pride has a negative connotation in the layman world but pride can very often not be owned yet easily given, as such it’s a part of training people, raising children and a essential part of training.

Encouragement is telling people you believe in them, that you are there for them, that there is progress even in failure. Showing people you care makes them stronger. Telling them you believe in them makes them aware that there is hope, even in the most grim of circumstances. I sometimes write to people just to tell them that I see their struggle and that I believe in them, tell them I am here. I praise their accomplishments in public, letting people know that what that person is doing is valuable to me. That it matters that they are in my life and I hope they learn to encourage others as well.

So, how do you encourage others, how do you make people feel worthwhile? When did you last tell someone “I am proud of you” ? I know that people telling me this has made a world of difference.