The Person You've Become Deserves to Be Celebrated

You don't have to accomplish more, become someone else, or have everything figured out to appreciate who you are today.

“The best days of your life can’t happen without you there. Live with presence. Live intentionally.”

🎉 A Note from Me

Hi, I’m Jessica.

I write NP Fellow Become the CEO Your Health, a weekly mental health and functional medicine newsletter for people who want real, honest, and science-backed support.

I’m a nurse practitioner, professional writer, and stock trader who writes like the friend you’d call at 2am—someone who actually gets it.

I started NP Fellow to create the kind of trustworthy space I wish existed when I was struggling: no fluff, no WebMD fear, no Sunday scaries, just practical tools, and real talk backed by science-based insights.

If you’re here to learn, grow, heal, and help others feel less alone—welcome!

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Sunrise in Miami Beach, Florida, USA

The Person You’ve Become Deserves to Be Celebrated

It’s my birthday today and it’s funny how a day meant for celebration can turn into a review of everything you haven’t done with your life.

Another year older and another opportunity to think about the goals you haven’t reached, the plans that changed, and whether you’re where you thought you’d be by now.

Someone asks what you’re doing to celebrate, and suddenly you’re thinking about what you still need to accomplish.

I’ve been thinking about that this year because when I ask myself what I’m most proud of, my answer isn’t a particular achievement.

It’s the person I’ve become.

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What I’m Actually Proud Of

I’m proud that I’ve become a genuine person.

Someone who cares about people and genuinely wants to help.

People have told me that I’m real. That I’m genuine and those words mean something to me.

I value being honest about who I am. I want the way I treat people to reflect what I believe, rather than what I think someone wants to hear.

I’m not saying I always get it right. I still make mistakes.

I still have things to learn and I’m sure there are ways I’ll continue to change, but I can recognize qualities in myself that matter to me and I think that’s worth celebrating.

We spend so much time measuring our lives through visible accomplishments.

The degrees we’ve earned, the positions we’ve reached, and the goals we’ve checked off.

Those things can be meaningful, but what about the parts of ourselves that don’t come with a title or an announcement?

• The patience we’ve developed.

• The honesty we’ve learned to practice.

• The way we’ve become more comfortable being ourselves, even when other people don’t agree with us.

Maybe you’ve learned to set boundaries without feeling responsible for everyone’s reaction, maybe you’re more willing to admit when you’re wrong, or maybe you’ve become someone who listens more carefully, judges less quickly, or treats yourself with greater understanding.

Some of the most meaningful changes in your life may be the ones that have made you more yourself and not everything worth celebrating needs to count as an achievement.

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Sunrise in Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Why Is It So Hard to Say You’re Proud of Yourself?

Think about how easily you can recognize something good in someone else.

• You tell a friend they’re thoughtful.

• You admire someone’s honesty.

• You notice how much a person has grown.

But when was the last time you said something equally kind about yourself?

Without immediately minimizing it, without adding a qualification, or without worrying that you sounded arrogant?

For some of us, saying “I’m proud of myself” feels more uncomfortable than saying “I should be doing better.”

We’re familiar with our shortcomings. We notice them, think about them, and make plans to improve them.

However, when we recognize something we like about ourselves, we hesitate.

• Is that bragging?

• Am I giving myself too much credit?

• Shouldn’t I be focusing on what I still need to work on?

There’s a difference between self-recognition and self-importance.

1. Recognizing that you’re a caring person doesn’t mean you believe you’re kinder than everyone else.

2. Being proud of your growth doesn’t mean you think you’ve finished growing and appreciating yourself doesn’t mean ignoring the parts of your life that still need attention.

You can recognize something good about yourself without turning it into a comparison.

I’ve also been thinking about how easily we tie our worth to what we do for other people.

Being helpful is something I genuinely value about myself, but I don’t want to believe that I only deserve appreciation when I’m being useful.

I don’t want to measure my worth by how much I give, how much I accomplish, or how many people need me and I don’t think you should have to either.

• You can care deeply about others without making your own value dependent on what you provide.

• You can be proud of your accomplishments without needing another one to justify feeling good about yourself.

• You can appreciate who you are today while still wanting to grow.

Celebrating yourself isn’t a declaration that you’re perfect. It’s an acknowledgment that there’s something about you worth appreciating right now.

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Final Thoughts: A Different Kind of Birthday Reflection

This year, I’m not making a list of everything I still need to accomplish before I can feel proud of myself.

I’m celebrating the person I am today.

• Someone who cares about people.

• Someone who values honesty.

• Someone who’s still learning, changing, and figuring things out.

And I hope you’ll take a moment to recognize something about yourself too.

Not what you’ve achieved and not what you still need to improve.

Something about who you are that you’re genuinely glad hasn’t changed—or that you’re proud has.

• Maybe it’s your kindness.

• Your curiosity.

• Your willingness to admit when you’re wrong.

• Or the courage it took to become more comfortable being yourself.

You don’t need a birthday, a milestone, or anyone else’s approval to acknowledge those things.

You don’t have to wait until you’re proud of everything in your life to be proud of yourself and that’s something worth celebrating.🎉

Thank you for reading this article.

Until next Sunday,
—Jessica
Your 2am friend who actually gets it

“It’s to everyone's benefit to build a more compassionate world, because when fewer people are hurting, everyone is safer and there’s more victory, celebration, and joy.” —Yung Pueblo

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🪩 A Gentle Invitation

If this article resonated with you, you may appreciate my new product called Weekly Skill, a paid NP Fellow series focused on one real, grounded internal skill each week regarding attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, presence, and learning how to work with your nervous system instead of against it.

No pressure. Just an invitation.🤝

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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

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