The pride of two people

There are only two people whom you are accountable to and whose pride should truly matter to you. Not your parents, not your friends, and certainly not your mentors at work.

Just two:

The 8-year old you - full of hopes and dreams.

And the 80-year old you - full of memories.

Both are watching you now.

The child you once were is still inside you, filled with wonder and hope, waiting to see if you will chase the dreams they once believed in.

They don't care about success the way the world sees it - they just want to see you try, see you brave enough to go after what truly makes you happy.

And then, there's the older you who has lived through it all, the ups and downs, the missed opportunities and understands how quickly time passes.

They do not care about achievements or what others think.

They just want you to slow down, cherish the little things, live in the present, and fully embrace the life you have today - because those moments don't last forever.

If right now, in this moment, both of them can look at you with a sense of pride: If the child sees their hero and the elder sees a life well-lived, then you can rest easy.

Because in the end, it was never about being perfect, never about the public displays of achievements and wealth. It was about being true to yourself, about making the little one proud and giving the older one peace.

And if you've done that, then you've already won.

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Note: Adapted from an unquoted excerpt off the Internet.