No choking on swallowed pride

Perhaps you've heard this quote: "No one has ever choked from swallowing their pride." Though wounding our ego has the potential to stop us dead in our tracks, if we acknowledge our weaknesses and kick them to the curb, we've got a good chance to breathe new life into our self-esteem, get back on track and continue our journey. I don't think it's a secret, when failure rises, self-worth plummets like a wounded pheasant, making it hard to believe in ourselves. Humility, however, helps us get back up, take flight and soar. Here's a man who knows something about swallowing his pride and rising up: He started his young career at the lowest level of a major delivery company. He'd get up at 2:45, drive an hour to work, and load packages onto semi-trucks from four to ten in the morning. When he was done, he'd hustle out the door, drive home, clean up, scarf down a light breakfast and work in a local retail store for another six hours. As time went by, he moved up the ladder, eventually becoming a senior-plant manager. Before long, a competitor from another delivery service tracked him down and made him an offer he thought he couldn't refuse. He accepted and was excited about the opportunity. It didn't take long, however, before he realized the company he'd chosen was toxic, and he'd made a life-changing mistake. Though he longed to get back to the company he started with, the bridge had been torched, and he couldn't get back in. What did he do? Well… he quit his new job and went back to the old company. Not as a senior manager, but as a part-time, seasonal employee, loading packages as he had done when he walked in the door as a young man. When employees who used to work for him saw him on the loading docks, it was hard to take. But he swallowed his pride and kept working. Over time, his focus and mental toughness paid off. He was summoned by the company he longed to get back to and, against all odds, was offered a senior manager's position. In the history of the company, they'd never rehired a senior manager who went to a major competitor. Personal trainer, author, and businesswoman Jillian Michael said, "The ego seeks to divide and separate. Spirit heals and unifies." For the man on the loading dock, there'd be no choking on his pride. Before walking into work each day, he checked his ego at the door, letting his spirit heal and unify. When the stares and glares came his way, he chose to make those tough days for his self-esteem great days for his mind and soul. Tough kid. Tony Legando is a lifelong educator, a hall of fame football coach, author of To Lead a Good Life, and a speaker who has inspired leaders for many years. Check out his website at tonylegando.com or contact him at legandot@gmail.com.