My Pride and I

Pride; Consciousness of one's own dignity.

Pride isn’t the worst thing to possess in life. At times It can help solidify identities, achieve goals, and build communities. However, the wrong type of pride can do a whole lot of damage.

I’m sure I had two servings of the not-so-good Pride.

My Pride convinced me that my friends were not good enough. Friends should hold you accountable. They should have the hard conversations with you and they should push you beyond your comfort zone. However, it seemed as if I was the only one doing these things and not receiving them in return. This obviously was not true. My friends go above and beyond, but due to My Pride I was dismissive and I would shut down anything I did not agree with. One who does not listen with an open mind and open heart can never be held accountable.

My Pride made it look like I had it all together. Although my intention was never to present myself as perfect, I did not denounce the perfect ideas that people had of me. I knew I was a mess within. I could be honest with myself, but not with others. My pride told me that looking like I had it together was important and no one would believe my trials even if I did speak on them. My pride lead me to believe that it was more important to be seen than it was to be transparent.

My Pride took precedence over my vulnerability. Too many times, I have sacrificed being vulnerable for being right. My Pride convinced me that I was too intelligent to let my feelings have a voice. Vulnerability was not needed when I already knew the answer. Or so I thought. My Pride lead me to be inconsiderate of others and how they felt. It did not matter if they were hurt. Me correcting them mattered more. I could not be vulnerable with those I intended to expose.

Pride has made some of us go through unnecessary struggles. We were, and maybe still are, afraid of what needing help would do to our image. Pride can be conflicting and for some odd reason, looking like you need help is far worse than not actually getting the help you need.

I have given pride a lot of power and control in this piece. I have personified this emotion in an attempt to gauge its depth. Although Pride may seem big and invincible, it is not a giant that we cannot conquer. It is simply another emotion. An emotion that we can refuse to become a slave to. Pride will lead to disgrace (Proverbs 11:2). The bigger your ego, The bigger your fall (Proverbs 16:18). It is an emotion that God warns us about, but tells us how to overcome. Evaluate your heart for the sake of yourself. God already knows what dwells there. Just how you give everything else up to God, Your Pride will also have to go.

Luke 14:11, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

It's You or Your Pride.

Challenge yourself and see if any of these apply to you. Pride can be sneaky, but our prideful traits can be obvious to many others.

You reject constructive criticism- You might feel as if comments of this nature are attacks and you have no need for improvement. You may also struggle with being honest about your shortcomings. Remember that no one is perfect and it is okay if you aren’t either.

You do not take instructions well- You find it hard to be in the position of a student and not the one leading and giving orders. You may also have an issue with authority figures and do not value teachable moments that targeted towards yourself. Remember that every good leader, also learns from those who just them.

You Criticize those who seem to do better than you- You value the position of setting trends and paving the way. Your pride may lead to jealousy of those who are achieving higher levels than you. In these situations, your pride feels crushed. Remember during these times that other’s achievements have nothing to do with you and try your best to celebrate their win with them.

You always want to be center of attention- You strive to be adored at the cost of many things and get upset when you do not receive “adequate” praise. Remember that the world does not revolve around you and that you’re not more important than everyone else. You will be less disappointed in the end after learning this.