Praise yourself everyday! You deserve to give yourself a big hand. I’ll show you why it’s important to take care of yourself this way. Plus, I’ll give you tips and guidance on how to start this transformational healing practice today!

This post originally appeared in August 2013. In the next couple months I’d like to reshare some of the blog’s more popular posts. My goal is to help you live a happier and fuller life. 

Most of us are taught that it is not good to praise yourself, since it leads to arrogance. Quietly praising yourself is not arrogant. In fact, it is healthy to praise yourself. When you are working toward a goal, what you tell yourself determines whether you succeed or not. For example, if you have the goal of losing thirty pounds and you say to yourself, “Big deal, I only lost one pound this week,” this type of thinking can stop you from moving forward and achieving success. If you say, “Wow! I am so proud of myself for losing a pound this week,” this will keep you motivated as you work toward losing the weight.

Hands Applauding. Self Esteem. Self Worth. Praise Yourself. Praise.How often do you praise yourself? If you are like most people, you don’t. A key ingredient to boost your self esteem is to praise yourself often. It is best to internally praise yourself. Praising yourself out loud in front of others will only make them feel uncomfortable. Instead when you do something well, you can praise yourself out loud when no one is around or just think to yourself, “I did a great job. I am proud of myself for exercising today when I certainly did not feel like it.” “Wow! I did it! I accomplished that goal. I am proud of myself for doing that!”

“Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit;

we cannot flower and grow without it.”

–Jess Lair

If praising yourself is new to you, this will be uncomfortable at first. Okay, so be uncomfortable until this becomes your new habit! What are you proud of yourself for? Are you a good friend? Have you accomplished one of your goals? What have you done well over the past six months? Take a few minutes right now to praise yourself for three things. Get in the habit of praising yourself each day, even if you find you are saying the same thing. Your new habit can powerfully transform your life by motivating you to accomplish all your goals!

If you enjoyed this post, check out “Celebrate Yourself,” to see how you can live an extraordinary life!