The Life-Changing Magic of Telling Your Friends You’re Proud of Them

Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

When’s the last time someone told you they were proud of you?

This year has really made me think about how important my friends are to me. I am very lucky and very blessed to have a wonderful group of friends, most of whom don’t live close enough to visit. Thanks to social media and Zoom calls, we can all stay in touch.

Although my friends are a marvelously talented group of individuals, many of them seem to have a tough time seeing how fantastic they really are. So we are all each other’s cheerleaders. I feel like a lot of folks, especially women, don’t get enough praise. Life can be tough, especially in this pandemic year, and we can all use a little encouragement.

Some time ago, a friend of mine set out to do something that she had always wanted to do. I was thrilled to go along to cheer her on as she lived out her dream. Unfortunately, the day didn’t go as well as she had hoped. My friend was, understandably, sad about how it had gone. I held her tight while she cried and told her how proud I was of her and how proud I was of how well she had done. Even though I couldn’t change how the day had gone for her, I wanted her to know I loved her whether she won or lost.

We often tell kids how proud we are of them when they’re learning to do new things. But somewhere along the way, we stop telling people that their achievements are praiseworthy. Why is that?

Have a friend who is struggling? Let them know how important they are to you. Tell them how proud you are of who they are, their kindness, their loving heart, their willingness to keep getting up and keep trying no matter what life throws at them. Remind them that this time, too, will pass, that the sun will come up again and that things will get better.

Be proud of yourself! Be proud of your friends! Wherever you are, whatever you’re facing right now, you are doing great and I am proud of you.