The Only Person You Need to Make Proud

When we think about success, we often picture a crowd — applause, approval, maybe even a spotlight. We chase degrees, careers, aesthetics, relationships, all for a nod from someone else. A parent. A partner. A mentor. A society that told us what "making it" should look like. But what if I told you the most important person to impress is someone you've known all your life?

Your inner child.

She’s the one who dreamed without limits, who colored outside the lines, who imagined a life full of wonder and magic before the world told her to be “realistic.” She’s the one who looked in the mirror and didn’t judge — who danced just because the music felt good and believed in her wildest dreams with her whole heart. Before she was ever doubted or compared, she believed in you.

And that’s why you owe her everything.

We carry that little version of ourselves everywhere we go — in our instincts, in our dreams, in the quiet hopes we whisper when no one’s listening. She may have grown quieter over the years, tucked behind disappointments or detours, but she never left. What she longed for back then? The joy, the adventure, the feeling of being chosen, seen, and free? She still wants it. She always will.

Living out the fantasies you dreamed up as a child is more than nostalgia — it’s healing. It’s closing the loop. It’s telling your younger self, “You were right to dream that big. I didn’t forget you.”

As you scroll through this post, you’ll see two photos that hold deep meaning to me. One is from my last year in the Dominican Republic — first grade, picture day. The other is from my first year in America, having just completed my ESL program in second grade. Both of those little girls were full of light, dreams, and hope. They didn’t know all the obstacles they’d face yet. But still, they believed.

Everything I’ve done since has, in some way, been for them — to keep their light alive, to make those quiet hopes a reality.

Because when you achieve something just to make others proud, it might come with a fleeting high — but the celebration rarely lasts. It feels hollow, like you crossed a finish line only to find no one waiting. But when you achieve something because it matters to you, because it feels aligned with who you've always been deep down? That’s when it sticks. That’s when it glows. It’s like a wink across time, a gentle “We did it” from your future self to the little girl who started it all.

Staying true to your inner child builds something stronger than just success — it builds self-trust. It tells you that you’re not just surviving life, you’re honoring it. That you remember the dreams that made your heart race. That no matter the obstacles, you didn’t give up on her.

So ask yourself often: What would make her proud? What would light her up? What did she always imagine for herself when no one was watching?

Chances are, those answers still live inside you. And maybe your greatest achievement won’t be the loudest, the most polished, or the most praised. But it will be real. And it will feel like home.

You don’t need a thousand claps or gold stars. Just one voice whispering back through time:

"You made me proud."