The dangers of pride

Mothers are guilty of being the most proudful people of the human race. You can definitely include me on the list! Is it bad to be proud of your children or something they accomplished? This week I read about the dangers of pride and it was interesting to differentiate being proud from being full of pride.

When I worked at the bank, during a time I was an Account Executive in Chicago, one of my basic responsibilities was to notarized documents for our clients. One day, during one of my mom’s visits from Mexico, she was looking to help a friend get something notarized and asked me where she could find a notary public. I said “mom, just ask your friend to call me at the bank and set up an appointment, I’ll be happy to assist”. “You’re a Notary Public?!?!” She asked in disbelief. She was so proud about it and would find ways to share this with people even during casual conversations. I was very surprised of her reaction and once I found out the difference between being a Notary Public in Latin countries and being a U.S. notary public, I understood why she felt so proud. Let me explain, a notary public in many Latin American countries is an individual who has received the equivalent of a law license and who is authorized to represent others before the government. I explained to her the difference of a Notario Publico specifically in Mexico and a U.S. notary public, who is simply appointed by the state to serve the public as an unbiased witness to document signing. Sure, I had to comply with the eligibility requirements of the state of Illinois, but it was a pretty straightforward process. My mom was still very proud of me even though it was clear that I did not deserve the recognition she was giving me and we laugh so much about it. Her laughter was contagious and it brought much joy into my life.

The truth is that she found reasons to be proud of each one of her children and I always admired this about her.

When I looked deeper into being full of pride and its meaning, it made me realize how easily anyone can fall into the dangers of it. It means to have an excessively high opinion of one’s own worth or importance; it suggests an arrogant or overbearing conduct.

I want to cultivate humility and kindness, two characteristics I learn from my mom. Not arrogance and pride. Let’s do it together and live a life of significance!