“Let others pride themselves about how many pages they have written; I’d rather boast about the ones I’ve read.” ― Jorge Luis Borges
The dictionary (or Google) says that the definition of bragging is an attempt to portray yourself in a positive light.
Did you know that most people are not where they would like to be in life? And I mean most, like 95+% are not where they’d like to be. Deep down, they are actually disappointed about themselves and their lives. They know they are not doing what is required in order to succeed and live an abundant, fruit-filled life. BUT, they don’t want others to know that. They want others to see them as a better version of who they actually are! It is a facade to cover up what is really on the inside that is hidden.
The greatest leaders don’t brag about their accomplishments. What’s to brag about anyways? Most of them have spent the better part of their adult lives getting through adversity after adversity. To them, they don’t see the crown on their head, others see. What they do see, instead, are the bruises and battle wounds acquired during their long, hardworking journey towards success and significance.
The endless adversity they have had to face and overcome left permanent scars in their brains. The reality is that the memory of the pursuit of success was ugly, stressful, unpleasant and nothing to brag about. Successful leaders do not brag because they have a positive perception of themselves, born of adversity, and they do not require any endorsement or validation from others. The fact that they faced adversity and overcame it, validates their self-worth!!
Bragging and pride is a Toxic Habit. It germinates from a negative mental outlook. Anyone who brags is wallowing in a negative mindset and negative thinking is one of the paths that leads to the path that not one of you (or me) reading this email want to travel down.
That doesn’t mean you cannot be proud of your work or Team. Please do not think that is where I am going with this. I know I couldn’t be more proud of our Team and how hard we work to strive for excellence. But there’s a difference between that positive pride, and bragging about being better than somebody else! I constantly remind my team to be grateful for the platform God has given us, and we must continue to steward all of our resources in the correct ways to help our Team grow every single day, and in the right way! If a bragger or one of these overly prideful people somehow enters your inner circle, or has made it into your organization, push them out of there QUICK. They won’t add any value to your life or to your Team. In fact, they will have a negative influence on you, your culture and morale, and anyone else who is part of your inner circle!