I Want To Thank Me

  “I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work, I want to thank me for having no days off, I want to thank me for never quitting, I want to thank me for always being a giver, and trying to give more than I receive, I want to thank me for  trying to do more right than wrong, I want to thank me for being me at all times, Snoop Dogg, you are a bad M.F”

This opening speech, the famous Californian rapper Snoop Dogg gave on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for getting a star recognition, a great honor that many legendary artists have received.

His “I want to thank me” speech people find funny, witty, naughty, or arrogant, but it definitely made me think how many times we really thank ourselves for anything we do.

Is honoring ourselves for being who we are the exclusive product of the American culture?

Do we, those of us who live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean need the U.S. Constitution to tell us that human rights are the right to pursue happiness? Do we need someone out there to give us permission to be fans of ourselves or we can freely honor ourselves for being awesome?

What is it in the European mentality that taught us that being grateful to ourselves and saying it out loud is a bad thing? It’s not. Why does it come so hard for us to acknowledge ourselves and to be kind to ourselves? Why is it acceptable to glorify others but not your self? Why do we have this socially constructed default position to treat others better than ourselves?

It’s time to rethink gratitude not only in relation to the things outside ourselves but also expressing gratitude to ourselves as it is our own self that carries us through life. 

There’s no harm in expressing gratitude to ourselves

The Bible says to love yourself as you do the closest around you. If you love yourself and you are a supporter of yourself, then you can see and appreciate that in others.  

So today, we say it out loud “I want to thank me”. And if you don’t have some huge reason to celebrate your own achievements, that’s is ok. Come up with some smaller things you like about yourself and thank yourself for it. And if it feels untrue, do it anyway.

Everything we do well starts with just one action however small, thank yourself for starting it well.

Nevena Bridgen

Founder

Nevena Bridgen is the Founder of The Wives of Westminster. She is an opera singer and a wife of MP Andrew Bridgen.

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