Lately, I am intrigued by the differences between pride and gratitude.
The vast differences in how those words and emotions FEEL, where they come from, and how they metasticize in our being...
I used to want to be “proud” of myself. I used to say, “I just want to get to a place where I am proud of my life...”
As with other thoughts we discuss, is there an option to think of AND versus OR here? Certainly. But, I find that pride doesn’t serve me like gratitude does... and the extent to which I can play to gratitude vs pride, I am better off...
Take the sale of EMG for example... I am proud of what we did, what I did to get EMG to a point where it could be sold and bought by a powerful global company... but when I zoom out, how much did I really do, versus so very many others?
I can be proud of the impact I had on our strategy and our decisions over the past decade, AND I can be grateful for the massive help I had in achieving that goal... in fact, when I zoom out, my role in my own success is so minimal and trivial...
I find myself grateful for Michael Logsdon, who started EMG in the first place... without him there would have been no company.
I am grateful to Claude Limoges who gave me the space to lead, who trusted me with his livelihood, with his dream...
I am grateful to Gib Mason who introduced me to Gib.
I am so very grateful for the team around me of extremely devoted professionals... Robin Cook, Ron Stupi, Matt Munter, Aliza Stern, Gus Guerrero, Chris Varney, Greg Bailey, Ted Beeghly, Justin Arias, Warren Johnson, Jessica Rogers, Kristin Taylor... and the list goes on... I could write an entire chapter on each one of those individuals and how instrumental they were to our success...
And, the list doesn’t end there... I am grateful for the hundreds of devoted colleagues who make EMG what it is every day... the ones that carry the weight of the company on their shoulders - who travel so very often away from their families, who are faced constantly with new deadlines and challenges.
I am grateful for Bharat and JR and the various individuals on the investment banking team.
Grateful for the people at Bureau Veritas who saw the value and the opportunity at EMG and who bought into our dream, not just our progress, and who championed the acquisition.
Grateful to my friends and colleagues at 180s that taught me so much about business. And, the ones at Procter and Gamble. And my buddies from college, including Brian LeGette who gave me the opportunity to join 180s where I had an amazing time, grew up, and met Gib Mason who brought me to EMG.
Grateful for my wife Susy who allowed me to let my career be first while she took care of all the other life needs - primarily our boys, so that I could change jobs or roles as I needed or fly around the country or the world. She was and is always there to love me and support me - so that I can chase my dreams.
Grateful to my parents who gave me life - who brought me to the States - who made me ambitious consciously and subconsciously with how they raised me. Grateful for my genes, for my intellect, for my sisters - who taught me emotional strength...
Grateful for the ones that created the “corporation” and allowed entreprenuers to take more risks. Grateful for the bankers. Grateful to the United States - and the people that fought to create it...
Grateful for the universe... for my health....
Do you catch my drift... the list of people who made my success possible is endless... I brought a small little, tiny, thin slice to the party...
And, pride, I realize comes from the ego... Gratitude comes more from the soul. The issue with pride is that it fills me up with me... and, importantly, it stays conscious of the things that I should NOT be proud of... The same beast that wants me to be proud, is the beast that so very often makes me feel inadequate... that makes me feel unworthy.
Whereas, the giant that shows me gratitude... is always showing me gratitude... it is an infinite well of energy and the more gratitude I feel - the smaller I become - yet the more joyful I become...
Sure, we all have an opportunity to impact our lives - in important and meaningful ways... but all that we do or don’t do is built on the backs, the lives, the hearts of so many souls that have made our situation possible in the first place...
The more we realize gratitude - the greater that we can achieve - because we start to leverage not just ourselves, but the entire world around us... past and present...
And, our efforts become less about impacting our own success - and we start to see that success is actually being someone that someone else can be grateful for...
The more I live - the more I realize pride will close me down... pride will corner me in... pride will turn on me when I fail to deliver...
Where gratitude... gratitude is a force that is always there... around us... serving us up opportunities and possibilities... and helping us create greatness all around us...
There is no need to seek pride... instead, be grateful.... and watch the world around you come alive... and your dreams start to become real...
No matter where you are...
Embracing gratitude allows you to live every moment FULLY and JOYFULLY...
The next time you think of pride (or dissappointment) in yourself... think again... think instead of the amazing grace that gives you the opportunity to reach higher and farther in the next moment... Accept how small we are, and how minimal our contribution really is relative to those who have carried us here...
Embrace gratitude and live in a way that ensures others will be grateful for your role, your contribution in their journey... Help create opportunities and possibilities for them...
And, feel the powerful light of universe on your soul...
in harmony,
Nestor