Awesomeness, Pride, Humility, and being who we are

I'm going to open this blog with a disclaimer: Everything I say is true or what I believe to be true. I say things like they are: I am not trying to make myself out to be anything other than what I am.

     Last night I was texting a friend discussing meetings that we needed to attend. She said that she might not be able to make the meeting. I told her that I was okay with that and that I would fill her in on anything important that she misses. She responds: "Haha thanks Soren....You're awesome!" to which I give my normal response: "I'm not awesome. I'm just me." She then says "No you really are awesome Soren. I mean it"
     This is not the first time I have had this happen. I am not doing this to blow my own horn or anything: I deny (m)any claims people make about my "awesomeness"(I take in those instances where it is actually warranted).
      I know I'm not qualified to write about this due to my own skewed view of the world, but in its own way, this skewed view allows me to write this. I like to call myself  "THE average Joe". I can do a lot of stuff at a very mediocre or basic level. This is my main argument against any claims of "awesomeness". I am not extraordinary. I'm actually pretty plain old ordinary. It is for this reason that I will write about pride and humility at this time.
     Pride: a very important thing when used in moderation. It is important to be proud of the flag that (hopefully) waves over much of the land. You should have pride in your team and the people that stand with you. You should even have pride in yourself. As long as this pride stays pride, you are okay. You start to sink yourself when this pride becomes arrogance and you put yourself above others. You may be able to do math better than others or throw a ball farther, but you should not use these things as justification for not helping others or thinking less of them. If humility is "not thinking less of ones self but thinking of ones self less", pride is "lifting people up, not pushing them down".
     On the flip side of the coin there is humility. I could say that I've already said everything there is to say in the little quote above, but I won't. Just because you can't do something well doesn't mean you should give up on life. I lack any talent whatsoever. That doesn't mean I'm going to curl up in a corner and waste my life. By that same token, you need to keep your feet grounded if you are good at something. People have said "there will always be somebody better" and 99% of the time this is true. For that 1% of the time that you are "the best" use that: Teach and share that talent with others. Don't sit on a cloud and keep your talent hidden. Share it. Help lift others up.
     Pride is good. Humility is good. A combination of the two is even better. Lift up others. Lift up yourself. Raise the world to a higher level.