The One Thing I Say to Myself Every Day

…..and You Probably Should Too

Every morning before the noise of the world floods in. Before emails or errands. Before I measure myself against the mythical productivity gods, I say one thing to myself:

I am proud of you.

Not because I have conquered the world, reached the summit of some career mountain, or finally “fixed” all my flaws. I say it because I woke up. I am here. I am walking through this messy, mysterious, marvelous thing called life with presence. I’m proud of how I keep showing up with heart, with hope, with humility.

This isn’t some inflated ego trip. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s a quiet inner acknowledgment. A bow to the Tao.

In a world that tells us we’re never enough unless we’re busy, winning, or being seen, this one simple sentence is my rebellion. It’s my declaration of inner sovereignty.

And if there’s one gift I’d give anyone reading this, it’s the invitation to say those same words: I am proud of myself. Even if you don’t fully believe it yet. Say it anyway. The Tao doesn’t wait for belief. It moves with or without our permission.

In Harmony with the Tao

The Tao Te Ching reminds us again and again:

“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”— Tao Te Ching, Chapter 33

Self knowledge is not about perfection. It’s about attunement. About honoring the rhythm of our own unfolding. When I say “I’m proud of myself,” I’m not measuring myself against anyone else. Rather, I’m tuning into my own current, flowing with the stream of my own life, not someone else’s

In a culture that teaches us to strive and struggle upstream, the Tao whispers to us to float. Let go. Be proud not of what you’ve achieved, but of how you’ve endured. How you’ve healed. How you’ve grown quieter when the world screamed louder.

To walk the Tao is to return. Return to what? To the uncarved block. To your natural essence. To your own face in the mirror after you’ve wept, laughed, failed, risen, and kept going anyway.

A Practice of Internal Validation

When I affirm pride in myself, I am dismantling years of external conditioning. The need for approval. The addictive cycle of “Am I doing enough?” “Do they like me?” “Have I made it yet?”

Taoism asks: who is this “they” anyway?

Lao Tzu offers:

“Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.”

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 9

Every time I say “I am proud of myself,” I am freeing myself from that prison. I am stepping outside of the cage and into the flow of the Tao, where value is intrinsic, not assigned.

I no longer need a trophy, a title, or applause to feel worthy. The river doesn’t ask for validation. It just moves.

A Radical Act of Self-Compassion

In the quiet of each day, when I say “I am proud of myself,” it’s not always because I’ve done something big. Sometimes it’s because I rested. I chose peace over conflict. I forgave myself. I said no. Or yes. Or simply breathed through something that once would’ve broken me.

Pride, when rooted in Taoist understanding, isn’t puffed up or performative. It’s not boastful. It’s gentle. Organic. It honors the simple truth that you are doing the best you can, and that is enough.

So today, right now, say it aloud or whisper it in your heart:

“I am proud of myself.”

Say it not because you’ve earned it in some measurable way, but because you exist. You’re walking the path, however winding. You’re becoming, without forcing. You’re learning to live the Tao not by becoming more, but by returning to less.

And that, my dear friend, is something to be deeply proud of.

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