This list didn’t come from a single moment of insight or a burst of confidence. It came from showing up day after day and choosing to notice what I do right instead of only tracking where I fall short. I have been writing down one thing each day for several weeks and compiled the growing list today.
These are not accomplishments meant to impress anyone. They are qualities, behaviors, and choices that reflect my integrity, self-respect, and forward movement. I’m writing this as an act of honesty and self-recognition. Not because I’ve arrived, but because I’m still here. Still trying. Still learning. Still choosing myself. Owning what I have done. Being accountable by everything I do to improve myself moving forward and not repeating the patterns and mistakes of my past.
Things I Respect About Myself
Self-compassion and realism
- I am not a perfect person and I give myself grace.
- I haven’t given up on any of the challenges I am experiencing and I’m not trying to be perfect.
- My commitment to forward movement and healthy decisions, while having grace and releasing perfection.
- Releasing perfection with my routines and taking breaks when needed.
Honesty and self-awareness
- My ability to be honest with myself about my behaviors, anxieties, triggers, urges, and decisions without shaming myself.
- My awareness of my body and mind, and what they need, and giving that to them.
- Realizing where I fall short with some connections and immediately owning it and making changes.
- Owning that I haven’t been giving as much as I take in some of my connections.
Emotional responsibility and regulation
- I don’t avoid my feelings and urges and respond to them in healthy ways without causing harm.
- Not repeating emotionally unsafe behaviors of my past.
- Being vulnerable and grieving openly without any fear of what others may think.
- Performing opposite action and doing social activities when my emotional mind was telling me to isolate.
Commitment to growth and problem-solving
- My tenacious desire and forward movement towards reducing suffering and harm to myself and others.
- I never give up on trying new things when other things don’t work out.
- I never quit moving forward with things I believe in, including my ability to love myself and be happy in life.
- My commitment to figuring out hard shit.
- My ability to figure out problems and come up with plans that can be adjusted as needed.
- My unending desire to end or reduce my suffering and my unending pursuit of joy, happiness, and emotional stability.
Integrity and safe choices
- My dedication to safe behaviors and acting in integrity with myself.
- I am avoiding my urges to engage in unhealthy behaviors and staying focused on forward movement in my life.
- Not giving into cravings for cannabis and sitting with them instead of acting on my urges to use.
Listening to my body and protecting my health
- My ability to remain sober through all challenges I have experienced.
- Not ignoring physical injuries and reducing further harm by resting from activities that cause them.
- How I listened to my body and openly shared my needs for rest with people I had scheduled activities with, instead of pushing through pain and putting others first.
- Not pushing myself physically when I am in pain.
- Taking care of myself by showering daily and prioritizing my sleep.
- Taking a nap when my body asked for rest.
- How I care for myself when I am feeling unwell.
- Realizing when I feel mentally unwell and still continuing to take my medications as prescribed.
Relationships and connection
- Owning what I have done to others, demonstrating accountability through correcting my behaviors moving foward, and making amends where I can.
- How I show up for my daughters.
- How I show up for people who love me unconditionally.
- How I stay in touch with people close to me.
- Continuing to stay in contact with people who have never left my side.
- Being the bigger person when others are engaging in hurtful behaviors towards me.
- Not taking people’s criticism personal and still being open to what they have to say.
Authenticity, expression, and joy
- I use my lessons in life to benefit humanity by sharing them with others openly and with vulnerability.
- How much I enjoy writing and sharing my journey.
- The time and work I put into writing my manifesto and sharing it publicly to hold myself accountable to it.
- The biography I created about who I am today and sharing it publicly to hold myself accountable to it.
- Reigniting my old passions and breathing life into them again.
- Doing all of the things I want to do without letting fear or anxiety control me or affect them.
- Not caring what anyone thinks about me and living my life the way I want to.
- How I am myself, genuinely and authentically.
Resilience and persistence
- I listen to my nervous system and leave uncomfortable activities and situations instead of pushing through them.
- My perseverance to keep moving forward with my life even when my body and mind aren’t feeling well.
This list isn’t meant to be static or complete. It’s a snapshot of who I am right now, in motion, in process, and still choosing to live with intention. On days when doubt is loud or old narratives try to take over, this is proof that I am already doing the work. Respecting myself doesn’t mean I never struggle. It means I keep showing up with honesty, care, and courage anyway. And that is something worth naming, remembering, and continuing to build on.
In the words of Eminem,
“Success is my only motherfuckin’ option, failure’s not…
this may be the only opportunity that I got…”
So here I go, it’s my shot, feet, fail me not
This may be the only opportunity that I got