Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Proud!

Chief Seattle has come to be a symbol of a proud native American. 

Because records are scarce and word of mouth unreliable, the information about him is controversial. Still, he is a metaphorical symbol of a majestic and honorable historical figure, one who is credited with a beautiful speech; a speech that no matter the author, is absolutely a fine example of what it means to be proud.
 

The word from my heart pocket is Proud.

It's almost as if there are opposite meanings of the word. Proud is appreciative and glad. Proud is contemptuous and cool. Proud is fiery and memorable. Proud is pompous and egotistical. Grand and illustrious. Narcissistic and imperious. Magnificent and majestic and noble. Ostentatious and presumptuous and vain.

How can this be?

We feel proud the day our child is born. We feel proud when our team wins the finals. We feel proud when we persist and we succeed. We feel proud when we secure the job we want. We feel proud when we look our best. We feel proud and that is good.

We feel proud when our child is more beautiful than others. We feel proud when our self-worth is tied to winning and winning is everything because it means we're better than others. We feel proud when we overcome obstacles to get what we want. We worked hard while some of those other people had life handed to them on a silver plate. We feel proud to look so good all the time. We have style and we are superior in every way. We feel proud and that's not so good.

The kind of proud that truly sets a person apart celebrates with a full heart, not a half-empty one. It is inclusive and has compassion that recognizes the oneness of our human existence. We can express our proud feelings with excitement and joy. Others love to share that feeling. Others feel that kind of proud because it is pure and in the moment. 

There is another kind of proud that isn't shared because it isn't offered. It is private and delights in itself. It hides in shadows because it knows it is less and has to puff itself up but doesn't want anyone else to know. It boasts and is high-handed, exclusive and fake. It's not really proud at all.

When you do something good, think "I'm proud of me!" When someone else does something outstanding, acknowledge it with "I'm proud of you!" We are experiencing the same feeling and when proud is shared, it feels REALLY good.