PRIDE IS...

 PRIDE is the destruction of all mankind. Yet another line on pride but it is true!

Take a gander at all your relationships that are not working out. Backstep. There are always going to be people who don't mix well with you, kinda like syrup on spaghetti. (Shout out to the movie "Elf".) Take those peeps and remove them from this list you are about to make.

 Now, write down some of those names that are causing you great hurt and pain and causing your ability to stay calm almost impossible! Are you writing? Okay, I get that is old school so pull up that phone of yours and video you making an account of the names. Once that is done, start looking at how pride/lack of humility has encumbered those relationships both on their part and your own (ouch I know!). 

There is a lovely French woman I know. She said that often she has to contemplate what she says as it can come out brash or hard. She relayed how she is grateful when those she loves to remind her that it is a fine line between being honest and being harsh. She was wonderful to share that when her daughter wore something unbecoming, she would say she "looked fat". She only meant to be honest and say it like it looked. She said her sweet gal would remind her that it hurt feelings and self-esteem when presented like that. This good mother took the criticism with humility and works hard to not be so prideful in her bestowal of words. 

I have been prideful in my life and suffered the consequence which is that my relationship with that friend never recovered. I muse back and realize that I was jealous of her busy lifestyle and ability to be free both professionally and financially to create whatever she wanted and to be in the thick of things both in her children's school, the community, and her personal life. I had pride because she lacked close friends and always felt like the "one out." I was able to feed my empty space by exploiting my ability to have close friends. I got fed for a minute of time but lost a friend that would have surely shared her life with me. 

I share my foibles with you but be sure that I have had to swallow my pride, bite my tongue, ball up my fist, at some of the life injustices done to me. But, after having substantial things done and said to me by those I love deeply, I chose not to be crushed by it....well maybe a little....yet I see how I was able to take of the fruit of humility and some of those relationships have blossomed into something bigger and better than before and actually couldn't have grown on their own considering the path those relationships were at! 

So when you do your Spring Cleaning, contemplate getting rid of pride and maybe bake a HUMBLE PIE once in a while. Go and get done!