Congratulate yourself every day and you'll see your self-esteem rise

Do you congratulate yourself when you deserve it, or is your self-talk dominated with beating yourself up?

We Christians can get carried away with the sin of pride. We feel guilty giving ourselves credit, thinking that's a haughty or arrogant spirit. But humility can be carried too far.

It's a darn tough job being single! Not only do you have the same responsibilities at work as married folks, but you're carrying the load for two at home, doing all the cleaning, cooking, errand-running and bill paying that married couples share.

When you get down, you don't have a spouse to lift your spirits. You have to be your own cheerleader.

Don't be embarrassed to congratulate yourself

It's ironic. Society tells us to be successful, but if we are, we're supposed to act as if we're not responsible for all the hard work and discipline we put into it. We're supposed to thank parents, mentors, friends, and everybody but ourselves.

Phooey!

In the privacy of your own home, you can do pretty much as you please. You can do the happy dance whenever you've accomplished something worthwhile, and only your cat or dog will think you're goofy. You can laugh, shout, and even contort your arm so you can pat yourself on the back. That's what I do.

Putting joy back in your life

Goals are one way we measure our progress in life. If you don't have any goals, you'll just schlepp along in your old routine, never doing anything beyond the necessary.

When you achieve one of your goals, celebrate! Allow yourself to feel proud of beating the odds. Bask in the satisfaction of doing something you didn't think you could do.

Let that sense of achievement and joy overflow to others. By all means, thank everyone who helped you, but don't act as if you had no part in it.

Stepping out in faith requires both you and God, so congratulate yourself every time you're brave enough to do that.

It's healthy to congratulate yourself

Despite everything people may tell you, it strengthens your mental and spiritual health when you give yourself credit. I'm sure you know acutely humble, self-effacing people who constantly downplay their role in activities. It gets a bit tiresome after a while.

Pride is when we give no credit to God or anyone else and believe we can do anything on our own. We can't. But on the other hand, you can lose much of your motivation if you never give yourself credit.

Always remember to thank God for your talent, skill, and the opportunities he has provided, but give some credit to yourself too.

Your success just can't happen without you!

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