Take pride in your accomplishments

In Canadian society we are taught to be humble and accommodating. And, most of all, we are told to not show exaggerated appreciation of ourselves for fear of devaluing others by demonstrating a feeling of superiority. Well, I say forget about the social friction and be proud of who you are. This is the only way you will get ahead in life and move out of mediocrity and into extraordinary.

Consider the role that pride plays in your life today. If you demonstrate pride and self-confidence in yourself, your life and your accomplishments, people notice it and they see you in a different light. More importantly, you'll see yourself in a different light.

Now before you get on your high-horse and claim that pride is a “sin,” I want you to consider the opposite of pride: shame and fear. Fear is a mind-killer. You're not good enough. You don't have enough. You should be thinner and more fit. You should have more money or a better job. The list is endless. Sound familiar?

We're all taught as youngsters not to judge a book by its cover, yet we all do. Contrary to popular political correctness, if you don't believe in yourself and show pride in your appearance, be confident in your abilities, and be happy with your accomplishments, people will see you as lazy, sloppy and unorganized. It doesn't mean they are right, it simply means they will perceive you this way. No one wants to admit it, but many people instantly marginalize and judge others, passing them over for jobs and promotions all because of others questioning your appearance and potential future value.

The solution: You must develop strong self-esteem, believe in yourself and demonstrate a strong self-discipline to get ahead today.

Let's simplify things by thinking more basically. Becoming wealthy through linear thinking is indeed possible, but without the belief that you have what it takes, it's unlikely that you will take the action needed to manifest it.

It is easy to tell someone the strategy to becoming a better spouse, how to lose weight or even how to get their dream job, but without a change in their own beliefs and the self-confidence to do so, their behaviour will likely remain the same.

There really is no mystery of how to be prosperous and successful in your life. Do the work and you will obtain the results. I know that it will be harder for some, and along the way you may indeed need to go in a different direction than you originally planned, but no matter how hard the struggle, if you endure, you will eventually succeed.

When you're on the path to building a better life, you would think that the people who care about you would support you. But sometimes they don't. Often times this negativity destroys people's goals and dreams. Being proud of yourself for making a change to become better helps you desensitize yourself to these negative comments.

Keep at it. The more you believe in yourself, the less the words of others will affect you, until one day you wake up and no longer feel the impact of their words. Instead, surround yourself with people who encourage and empower you and ignore everyone else.

The bottom line is, it's your life, and other people's opinions may be well-intentioned, but they're not important if they fail to empower you and steal your inner pride. Successful people are made through blood, sweat, tears and hard work, and they're very proud of what they have accomplished and who they have become. Remember, no one escapes the pain of the journey to greatness.