Pride and Identity

Pride, many people know this word from many places. Some from a place of fear, holding it as a sin, while others see it as a beacon of hope to a brighter future.

Having pride in yourself and your accomplishments is a part of the human journey. It allows us to find satisfaction in our everyday lives as we seek to better ourselves, and to reach higher.

There is however a more important type of pride, a form very much necessary, for it sustains our hopes and dreams—this is having pride in ourselves; it’s the statement you make when you live your truth.

Your truth really is delving deep within yourself to discover who you are, and who you want to be. It’s the feeling of hope as you learn to discover who you are and what you stand for. And when you find your gift, it’s what gives you courage to live your truth and be unapologetically you; not in arrogance, but in compassion.

Compassion for not only who you were, but for who you are becoming. Pride is being who you are and loving, not only your perfections, but understanding your imperfections as well.

For some, pride is a statement to the world that their hearts and souls will not be diminished or marginalized. A beacon to a world so afraid of our differences that they darken the lights of others. Pride is a beacon leading the world out of the dark ages of love, and back into the light. Pride is a reminder to love each other.

Our hearts need to be free to love, not chained by fear or expectations. They need to beat to whatever rhythm your soul takes on. Your tempo, your voice crying out in the darkened world as a statement. A statement of who you are, unbroken by a sometimes heartless world. A statement about love, and its inclusive nature regardless of gender. A statement to the world that all voices matter, and that two hearts beating together is beautiful. As long as that love is shared, respected, and understood no one has a say, save for the two hearts beating in unison.

This type of pride sustains us in the darkest times. It’s the hope that tomorrow the sun will shine on. A rainbow painted by light in all the colours of love.

Love is not something to be mocked, diminished, or feared, but embraced. Love is the one thing we all share, the common ground on which we all stand. Love is what makes life worth living. The connections we make, these strings that entangle together, binding us to each other.

These connections sustain us, enrich us, and evolve us as we look towards tomorrow. Pride in who you are is important as it allows you to look at yourself, and see the best parts of who you are, and those that surround us.

Without pride in yourselves you can never feel complete, and pride is more than just your sexuality, but your fundamental core; your identity.

Therefore in spirit of this month of pride, I ask all people to have pride in yourselves and each other. Support the differences between us. Look to them, not as a way to divide us, but to enlighten us, enrich us, and evolve us. We are all perfectly imperfect reflections of humanity, and each of us have a contribution.

As Walt Whitman once said “because you are here—that life exists and identity, that the powerful play goes on and that you may contribute a verse.” So sing on humanity, sing your song that will carry you and humanity forward with pride.

“You either create a world for everyone or else you will end up in a world fit for no one”

John Ames Birch