What Have You Done Today?
Proud (by Heather Small)
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
Yeah
We need a change, yeah
Do it today, yeah
I can feel my spirit rising
Change, yeah, we need a change, yeah
So do it today, yeah
'Cause I can see a clear horizon
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
To make you feel proud, yeah
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya
So, what have you done today to make you feel proud?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'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?
Yeah, let me hear ya
What have you done today? What have you done today?
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
Oh yeah, yeah
You could be so many people
Just make that break for freedom
So, what have you done today
to make you feel 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'm on my way; can't stop me now
And you can do the same, yeah
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?
Hmm-mm
You could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
What have you done today to make you feel prouder?
Still so many answers I don't know
(There are so many answers)
Realise that to question is how we'll grow
(To question is to grow)
So, I step out of the ordinary
I can feel my soul ascending
I'm on my way; can't stop me now
You can do the same, yeah
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?
Hmm-mm, hmm
You could be so many people
If you make that break for freedom
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Heather Small / Peter John Vettese
Proud lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Mgb Ltd., EMI Music Publishing Ltd
What have you done today?
Heather Small (MBE) is an English soul singer and a founding member of the Manchester-based indie band M People. Her 2000 album “Proud” is Heather's signature song, and it has been used on countless radio and television shows and by many activists and campaign groups to inspire people to see themselves as valued, respected and capable humans and act to change their lives and make this world a better place. It was also used in the video of the official London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics games.
To Be Taken for Granted
We all crave for and need to be acknowledged and appreciated; it’s a universal need. More than anything else, we want the people close to us to make us feel seen, heard, and cared for. We want to feel and think that we matter. It’s difficult not to receive praise and acknowledgement or be ignored altogether. But, sometimes, this is the kind of experience many of us have, which is indeed traumatic and can profoundly affect our self-esteem, identity, and confidence.
On the other hand, receiving a genuine "Thank You" can have substantial positive impacts. It can make us feel valued and appreciated and strengthen our relationships.
At worst, people may take us for granted. They benefit from our help, efforts, or presence without being grateful. They may take advantage of our kind nature and sometimes repeatedly ask us for favours without returning or showing gratitude. When this kind of abuse is established, it can be very challenging to undo. We must be strong and assertive to protect ourselves and reset our interpersonal boundaries.
Our Own Perception
Everyone has both positive and negative qualities. However, sometimes we treat ourselves worse than our harshest critics. We often focus so much on our mistakes and flaws that we don’t notice our positive attributes. Of course, a lopsided view of ourselves can shift to the other side if we see ourselves as perfect with no weaknesses. That would also be a problem.
Rather than running away with an inflated opinion (either too positive or too negative), we must respect and accept ourselves as we are. A balanced perspective helps us see ourselves with compassion and kindness without distortion or prejudice. Moreover, we can meet this essential need without others acknowledging us. We should simply treat ourselves with the same kindness as a good friend. Just as we should notice and appreciate others’ good qualities, we must constantly recognise and acknowledge our own positive attributes and features.
Being Proud
Pride is a very positive and uplifting feeling. Others can be proud of us, and we can be proud of ourselves. However, being proud of ourselves seems somewhat elusive these days. It can also feel uncomfortable, fake, boastful or selfish. Recognising other people's positive qualities and accomplishments is often easier than our own. It's good to practice seeing our own strengths, even simple ones like finishing an everyday task or cooking a good meal.
Yet, we are almost embarrassed to be proud of our achievements. We’re too shy to blow our own trumpet and are not keen on getting attention for our achievements. We worry that talking about our accomplishments could be egotistical and possibly even selfish, even though we have every right to be proud of them.
We feel proud when we accomplish something of quality, make a positive difference in a project or someone’s life, make clear progress toward a valued goal, or overcome a challenge, particularly if we've done it through our own effort and decision. We also feel proud if we know others are proud of us. In all those cases, we become more confident and exceptionally resilient.
Moreover, remembering and reflecting on everything we’ve done that makes us proud is vital because it makes us feel capable and competent, increases our confidence, enhances our self-esteem, and helps us focus more on the positive and less on the negative.
We should be proud of ourselves, who we are, our best personal characteristics, and how we carry ourselves. We can also be proud of the challenges we've overcome, the hardships we’ve endured, the lessons we've learned, our ability to forgive ourselves and others, and our resilience.
Feeling proud of our achievements and celebrating our success should not be reserved only for significant milestones. We should also celebrate the things that may seem insignificant to others but mean so much to ourselves. Sometimes, the things we are proud of feel small compared to the achievements of others, but such comparisons are not sound.
Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, we should celebrate our successes, no matter how small. Rather than focusing on the negatives, taking pride in our small victories is helpful for our mental strength and growth mindset, which are precious. We can never live a positive life with a negative outlook.
What are you most proud of doing in the past month?
Which one of your personal qualities or achievements are you most proud of? These are some examples of what you can do or remember doing that makes you feel proud:
Stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new.
Being honest. Admitting when you're wrong. Apologising if necessary.
Being supportive, encouraging and affirming.
Helping someone feel less lonely.
Being consoling and doing something kind (small or large).
Making someone happy when they feel depressed and gloomy.
Making people around you feel respected and valued.
Welcoming opportunities to take part and contribute.
Keep going (persevering) even when you feel like giving up.
Being a good, reliable and faithful friend.
Giving time, your spare things or money to a good cause.
Forgiving yourself and or others.
Feeling the fear and anxiety, but doing it anyway (Susan Jeffers).
Quitting a bad habit.
Planning, pursuing and working hard to achieve your dream goal.
Learning a new language, skill or qualification.
Saying no to something you disagree with and yes to something that excites you.
Reading a book, writing a poem or painting a portrait.
And many more...
