
“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
– Proverbs 16:18, KJB
Whenever I think I have things figured out, that I have discovered the magic decoder ring to life, I remind myself of this proverb. There is no perfection in life, only better paths and worse paths. Whenever I feel pride in an accomplishment, I try to remind myself that I can fail the next test, even though I perform the same. Fate rules my life, not my desires, and exhibiting too much pride in my accomplishments is the best way to be slapped by reality and reminded of the randomness of life.
Finding a path and sticking to it is my journey, which means overcoming the obstacles that crop up along the way. I can look at my actions and choices, and compare them to those of others who have made different ones. What worked for them may not work for me, and vice versa. My choices are my choices, theirs are theirs. We each walk our own roads.
If I am to take pride in anything, let it be in my efforts, not in my accomplishments. Success is a fickle friend, while the effort I make is always up to me.