Humble and Confident

I wanted to share some thoughts that have been on my mind since Memorial Day. I know that was a few weeks ago but it really gave me a chance to reflect on the men and women who serve our country. Thinking of them led me to remember when my son graduated from military training a few years ago. Shannon and I were lucky to be able to attend the graduation ceremony. I remember the sense of pride I felt as a father, watching my son graduate with a special marksmanship honor. That meant that he was the top marksman in the entire brigade. He got a special commendation and got to be in front of the whole class. I got so emotional seeing him be in his element. He earned it and OWNED it. 

 

Though being in the military was always a dream of his from boyhood, he had a hard time getting to graduation. Basic training was rough. He struggles with anxiety, depression, and dyslexia. So the fact that he was able to overcome his challenges and achieve this goal was huge.

 

So, why am I bringing this up? No, it’s not just a father-bragging moment. As we were coming home from graduation, my son had people that kept coming up to him to thank him for his service. As I reflect on this time, I remember how hard it was for him to sort of take this all in. 

 

And it makes me wonder if you are taking in the success that you have because of the service you give. We’ve talked about this before- you are changing lives! Do you allow yourself to sit with all that you have accomplished? When you tell me about all the good things that you are doing or when you hit a major milestone in your business and I tell you I’m proud of you, do you absorb that? Or do you brush it off with your humility brush? Are you allowing yourself a moment or two to take credit for what you are accomplishing? 

 

You work hard! Taking ownership of and pride in your work is important to your mental well-being. You are providing for your family. You are helping your team members make their car payments and buy groceries for their families. You are an entrepreneur and setting the example for the next generation. They look at you and say “I want to be like that someday.”

 

I know some of you are struggling. I know you wish your business was further along. Or that you were experiencing the level of success that you once had. Or that your relationships were better. Sometimes when we are so focused on accomplishing a goal in the future we forget to enjoy and appreciate where we are now. 

 

I want you to be able to feel more joy. I want you to be more present with what you do and the people around you. Knowing you have worked hard to get where you are will give you that sense of joy and pride. The more you believe in yourself and focus on the evidence showing the accomplishments that you have had, it will help you during the hard times. Let yourself really believe you are going to get there. 

 

So I want to challenge you this week to sit with yourself. Reflect on all of your accomplishments. Own your success. Be proud of what you have accomplished. Be proud of the fact that you have done so many great things. Think about all you have done. Let it sink in and go to your heart. Then take that and feel it as you do your work next week. I promise the people around you will see you a little differently.

 

I know as you really take that in and look at how lucky you are to live in this country and have the opportunities that you do, the more the people around you will feel that too. You will become the kind of leader that inspires your team to find joy and pride in their work too. 

 

I’m proud of you! I’m proud of the work you are doing. Thank you for the good work you are doing for this world.