What have you done today to make you feel PROUD?

Heather Small’s PROUD was released in May 2000.  In 2005, the song was adopted as the official theme for the London 2012 Olympic bid. Here’s the video to watch at end of my blog….The song was also re-released on The Biggest Loser soundtrack in 2006. blog continued under video….

Why am I writing about this?  Well this has become my song, my theme on life.

In 2000 when the song was released I went to university for the first time, at age 34 having just lived in Spain for a year. Perhaps people were proud of me then (my parents eventually once they had given in to the idea that 3yrs at university was ok at my age!). However I felt no sense of pride for myself then.

10 years late, with an emigration to Australia in the bag, in July 2010 I left the full time profession of teaching after just 18months in my new career. Let’s just say that my early departure wasn’t exactly planned but at that time I had no choice. On my final day, I invited all 26 sets of parents to our classroom to sit with their children and watch a video. This video had photos of all their children hard at work in my classroom that year. The soundtrack to my video, PROUD.  Let’s just say there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

At the time I didn’t feel very proud of myself for leaving teaching, but 7 years later with plenty of support, reflection, study and self-development, PROUD is back on my list of positive emotions again.

When was the last time you felt PROUD of yourself? Yes proud of you, not someone else?

Mum passed away 8 weeks ago today and a week later I read the Eulogy at her funeral. That morning I sat on Glenelg Beach and listened to this song, PROUD. I was, and am, so proud of mum as a mother, wife and sufferer of dementia and cancer with a smile right through to the end.

And finally, yes I’m PROUD to say I’ve started running for the first time in my life, at the age of 51. I took up this new exercise on the day mum passed and 3 times a week I run and listen to this song, PROUD. I feel like mum is running with me especially when I hear the lyrics…….”I can feel my spirit rising…I can feel my soul ascending.”

In her book, Positivity, psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, describes the 10 most common positive emotions. This list has been the focus of much research and have been found to shape peoples’ lives most often. “Pride – This comes from feeling dignified and important in what we do or have accomplished. It’s not about having an overwhelming sense of self-satisfaction, but having accomplished something that is socially valued and feeling proud about this. It may come along from a sense of purpose and meaning in our accomplishments, and offers an increase in confidence to expand the belief in our potential to do greater things.”

So what have you done today to make you feel proud? please comment!

LYRICS to Proud….

I look into the window of my mind
Reflections of the fears I know I’ve left behind
I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I am on my way
Can’t stop me now
And you can do the same

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
It’s never too late to try
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
You could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Still so many answers I don’t know
Realise that to question is how we grow
So I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I am on my way
Can’t stop me now
And you can do the same

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
It’s never too late to try
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
You could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel proud?

We need a change
Do it today
I can feel my spirit rising
We need a change
So do it today
‘Cause I can see a clear horizon

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
So what have you done today to make you feel proud?
‘Cause you could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
So what have you done today to make you feel proud?
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
What have you done today
You could be so many people?
Just make that break for freedom
So what have you done today to make you feel proud?