ShmoopTube

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We speak student!

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Self-Pride a la Shmoop [image of an apple kept on a book]

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All right, here's the deal.

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We're not all Michael Phelps.

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In fact, most of us aren't. Hmm.

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As much as our mothers might wish we had

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22-going-on-however-many Olympic medals,

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well, she more likely got this instead. [Phelps dressed in a suit standing by a pool]

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What a heroic effort.

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It's easy to look at people like Phelps or

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J. K. Rowling or Stephen Hawking or whoever

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and be envious of their accomplishments.

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It's even easier to look at people around us [image of a ground with grass]

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and wonder why we're not on par with them.

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Ever scroll through Facebook and see their statuses

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about how happy your friends are

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with their new job and their new significant other [someone checking Facebook status]

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or their killer tan they got on the trip to Cancun?

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Well, and then you check out your page,

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which is essentially a love letter to your cat,

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pizza, and sleeping.

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Well, news flash.

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Just because you're not sun bathing on the beaches of Cancun [a man enjoying at a beach]

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doesn't mean you're not doing some cool things.

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You don't have to have 22 Olympic gold medals.

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But you did set your school's butterfly record in your last meet.

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Maybe you didn't write seven world famous books,

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but you do like to write for fun. [woman reading a story book to a small girl]

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And your little sister who used to have nightmares

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all the time? Well, ever since you started reading

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your stories to her, they've gone away.

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And maybe you're not gonna make your living as a renowned

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theoretical physicist, but that B+ you got on your physics test?

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Well, you earned it and you're pretty proud of it [a teacher talking to a student in a classroom]

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and, for you, that was a great grade.

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Getting down on yourself is easy,

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especially when it seems like everyone around you

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has their life figured out. [someone scrolling through Facebook]

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Here's a secret: No one ever has it all figured out.

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Even Phelps is always pushing to be better

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and shave off a half-second or two.

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And we only get to hear about the good stuff he does.

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He probably sucks in a million other ways. [Phelps talking to someone on a phone]

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Well, keep in mind there's a fine line

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between being a cocky, arrogant jerk

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and a sniveling mess in need of

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constant reassurance.

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So how much pride should you take in your work? [image of a speedometer]

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Well, let's look at this girl.

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She got the lead in her play.

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She worked hard and delivered a great performance.

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You tell her she was fabulous and she replies like this:

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Charming. [someone giving a bouquet of red roses to a woman]

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She also tells you she's been encouraged to audition

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for Juilliard and she feels like she's destined to get in.

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After all, have you seen what passes for talent these days?

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Blegh. Too much pride isn't pretty.

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It's braggy and arrogant. [a gorilla outside a window]

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But say you go up to her after the play

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and tell her she was fabulous and she replies like this:

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You spend the rest of the night assuring her

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that, contrary to her belief,

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Meryl Streep has not had bowel movements

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with more talent than her.

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So a complete lack of pride isn't pretty, either. [Meryl Streep giving a thumbs up]

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But let's say you tell her she was fabulous

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and she replies like this:

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There it is.

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The sweet spot.

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She recognizes what she accomplished,

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takes pride in it, but stays humble. Nice. [woman exiting the stage]

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Bottom line is that you can beat yourself up

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all you want over not being Michael Phelps.

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But chances are, you've got something else to be proud of

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and you're probably the best at being you. [a man scoring a goal]

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You might not make the front of a Wheaties box,

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but it might very well make the door of your parents' refrigerator.

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And eventually, you'll find someone you love

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who loves you back. [picture of a couples wedding]

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And then life's really good.

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[whoosh]

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