Making the Proper People Proud

Far too often we worry about impressing all of the wrong people. We might worry about living up to social expectations that don’t really satisfy most people anyway, and we might worry about the opinions of people who really aren’t that worried about us in the first place.

We might, for a fleeting moment, impress someone else with an achievement or make someone else envious of us with certain social media posts or material purchases. But rather than focusing on impressing the masses or the people with whom we are only tangential acquaintances, we ought to focus on making the right people proud.

Focus on making God proud of you. Focus on making your closest loved ones proud of you (whether that be a spouse, a child, a sibling, or a dear friend). And focus on making you proud of yourself.

Work on being authentic of heart, and on seeking authentic healing, personal growth and spiritual growth. If those are the goals, progress and personal feelings of satisfaction are guaranteed.

There is a great and famous John Candy line in the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles where his character, Del Griffith (a lowly shower-curtain ring salesman), has been ruthlessly put down by Steve Martin’s prickly character, Neal Page.   

In response John Candy says: “You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.”

I like that. He cares about being authentic, not impressing the world, and he cares about making the right people proud.

As you move through this healing process, and as you work on growing yourself and building a better future that aligns with your needs and personality, remember to focus on authenticity and making the right people proud.

If you can give an honest effort each day toward your own healing—if you can give an honest effort each day toward staying close to God and moving your own life and wellness forward in some important ways—then you can go to bed with satisfaction knowing that you’re doing something worthwhile.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter what the world thinks of us or how we choose to live our lives or what we do or don’t accomplish each day. It matters what we think. It matters if our lives are lived with the acknowledgement of God at the forefront. It matters if we’ve made an honest effort to care for those we love the most. And it matters if we, at the end of the day, are proud of what we’ve endured and accomplished.

Be proud of your efforts, be proud of your growth, be encouraged by where your journey is leading you.

Michael