What is Recognition?

Recognition is an act of acknowledgement. Be it for accomplishments, failures or small details of life, they are all a part of the journey. Some people strive for recognition from others, while others recognize things for themselves. However, they are all pieces obtained to construct who we are. Many changes occur as we grow, and they need to be realized to have it be part of us.

My perspective on recognition have evolved greatly as I’ve matured in life. Loud recognition heard and agreed upon by many people was my illusion of what success was. It scared me greatly because it held the potential to lose myself in the glory of recognition. With this fear, I prevented myself from acknowledging my successes by telling myself that others obtained my accomplishments for me. Experiencing that I can shine brightly without commotion encouraged me to recognize and own my accomplishments. External recognition isn’t important to fight for, it’s my own recognition and reflection that makes it true.

Sometimes, the recognition is how I didn’t do as good as I thought I should, and it takes a moment to decide not to beat myself up for it. These are the times when the purpose of recognition is for growth. Whatever is past is gone and it’s time to reflect on it, so I can decide how to improve. There are always new ways to grow and life could only be perfect if I reached the limit of my growth.

Despite the importance to recognize myself, it’s equally important to recognize others. What better way to find examples of what to strive for and get ideas on how to get there? Recognizing success in others doesn’t make success impossible for me, it gives me reason to believe in it and find motivation to go after it. The recognition of what can be is the first step to making it real.

There are various things to recognize in life, as they are all building blocks to construct who we are. Drop the narrow thought that recognition is obtained to be great for others and gather recognition in the ways you desire to help you grow. Whether needed from others or yourself, use the recognition to be who you want to be. We are all unique with potential to acknowledge who we are.