The neighbor across the street is giving herself a pat on the back, because despite losing her husband last year in a motorcycle accident, she’s now able to imagine smiling again—something she thought was impossible just a few months ago.
The girl who works out next to me three times a week is giving herself a pat on the back, because two years ago she could barely climb two flights of stairs without gasping for breath, and next week she’s going to run her first 10K. She’s also giving herself a pat on the back for her cousin—a father of three—who passed away last month after fighting like a lion against his illness.
My best friend’s sister, by the way, gives herself a pat on the back because even though she knows her time is running out and she’ll be forced to leave her children and husband behind, she’s determined to make the most of every second and prepare for her departure as best she can for her little ones.
My sister deserves credit because she stayed the course and remained strong even though her partner of the last twelve years decided to move in with someone else, quite simply, claiming he no longer had any feelings for her.
My colleague gives himself a pat on the back because, despite the heavy burden of his daily life with his disabled child, he works tirelessly day after day to care for and love him.
The customer waiting in line at the convenience store is giving herself some credit because she dared to take a leap of faith by starting a new life far from the abusers who mistreated her throughout her childhood.
We all have reasons, big or small, to give ourselves some credit. We all have reasons to pause, recognize our accomplishments, and give ourselves a pat on the back. No one knows what we’re all doing here, and no one knows where we’ll end up. The only thing we can be certain of is that each of us is walking our own path. Don’t judge your neighbor, don’t judge the person next to you at the gym, and don’t judge the one shedding a tear behind the wheel. Don’t judge the person who radiates happiness and doesn’t hide it either; they may have been searching for it their whole life. You never know what all these people have been through. No, nobody knows the meaning behind it all, but one thing is certain: we’re all doing our best.
And you—what reasons do you have to give yourself some credit?