The feeling of pride occurs when we look at something, someone or an event reflecting on it with a great sense of personal satisfaction and comfort. It is something that you feel good about and appreciate. For a youngster it can be the satisfaction of planting a flower or a tree and for an adult it can be that feeling that occurs when a yard is cleaned up or when you have finished painting a home or a building. Pride is a strong emotion that guides our attitude. We are either positive if there is a sense of pride or negative if there isn’t a sense of pride but one of displeasure.

One dictionary definition of pride is: “… pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: Civic pride.”

The sense of pride tends to increase when we work with others and can share in the achievement of some improvement or accomplishment. When we approach a project as a team there is an enhanced sense of value in what is achieved.

The trend today seems to be one of putting an acronym along with the name for different concepts. My first effort at it for this topic resulted in: Plan Responsible Investment and Development for Excellence. That PRIDE acronym seems to fit very well with the programs of Keep Iowa Beautiful.

With a new year coming this may be the time to make a resolution to build pride in where you live, your neighborhood and your community. With the school, church or service club that you belong to consider the idea of taking on a project that will enhance the area:

Plant trees or shrubs.

Paint a public facility.

Fix up a fence.

Clean up a yard, park or river or lake area.

Help a neighbor fix up the house.

Adopt an area roadway, park or public area.

When we feel a sense of satisfaction and pride it spreads like a disease. It becomes contagious and others in the neighborhood or community pick up on it.

In Fort Dodge there is a group called PICA Pride in Community Appearance. This is a group of volunteers that for years have been volunteering their time to improving the beauty of Ft. Dodge building pride!

In North English there is a group of volunteers doing the same thing in the town and it is called PINE Pride in North English.

In Webster City, the Webster City PRIDE committee is an active group that has been making significant improvements to the community.

All of these groups and many others are doing good things to enhance the attractiveness of the place where they live. We should all take a message from their efforts and start a “pride” group in your neighborhood or community. What a great way to start the new year, to have fun, get some physical exercise and do something to build pride in where you live.

Let me know if you start a PRIDE group in your area. I’m looking for some really creative acronyms and efforts for 2014.