The Power of Pride in Our Efforts
When Jack was little, he would come home from school, dump his backpack on the counter, and run off. I’d sort through the papers, keeping a few and tossing most into the trash. One day, he came to me, with huge tears in his eyes. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me I had thrown away something important—his art.
Busted.
I obviously felt terrible, but any parent with small kids knows there is no possible way to keep every single piece of art and craft that comes home from preschool. If we did, we’d all be drowning in popsicle stick creations and macaroni masterpieces.
But Jack wasn’t having it. He was genuinely upset that I had thrown his art away. So, we fished it out of the trash and went through it together. Instead of keeping everything, we came up with a system: we would keep the pieces he was proud of and the ones that were his favorite. Not just any random scribble—only the ones that mattered to him. It became our little ritual, teaching him from a young age to take pride in his work and recognize what was truly special to him.
Fast forward ten years later - to this weekend—Jack, now 15, had a baseball showcase in Springfield, Missouri. Afterward, I texted him, How did it go? He replied, Good. I followed up, Are you proud? His response: Yes!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
Fast forward ten years later - to this weekend—Jack, now 15, had a baseball showcase in Springfield, Missouri. Afterward, I texted him, How did it go? He replied, Good. I followed up, Are you proud? His response: Yes!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
That moment struck me. So often, we focus on performance—the outcome, the success, the win. But pride isn’t just about being the best. It’s about the effort we put in, the way we show up, and the growth we experience. Jack didn’t say, I played perfectly, or I crushed it. He said, I’m proud. That’s emotional intelligence in action—recognizing and celebrating effort, not just results.
As leaders, parents, and teammates, we can all do this. Instead of asking Did you win? or Did you get an A? try asking Are you proud? It shifts the focus from external validation to internal self-regard—helping us build confidence, resilience, and a lifelong connection to our own growth.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not always about what we accomplish. It’s about how we feel about the effort we gave.
What’s something you’re proud of this week?
P.S. Looks like that lesson stuck—Jack’s not just proud of his baseball showcases these days; he’s also proud of his new clothing company! That’s right, my 15-year-old entrepreneur has launched his own brand, and I have to say, it’s pretty impressive. Check it out here: www.ninesoversixes.com. Who knew that sorting through preschool art would lead to business ownership?
