Please, (Don't) Contain Yourself!

"Whatever happened to a little humility?"

That was my boyfriend's disappointed comment when one of the football players on his team did something good (maybe it was a touchdown, I don't really know) that inspired him to a little dance right there on the field.

I always thought those little dances the big guys do were kind of cute. I get a kick out of seeing someone be so proud of and happy with themselves. (My ex says he'd dance, too, if he made that much money.)

But now that I was seeing it through my boyfriend's eyes, it wasn't as entertaining.

I thought, "He's right. Whatever happened to humility? Look at these guys, so full of themselves. It's distasteful."

And I felt myself slip a notch or two.

"What's WRONG with this world?" I continued this line of thought. No one has any loyalty or sportsmanship. (Which I know from hearing my sweetie complain about how players move and are traded from team to team or city to city, and how as soon as a guy gets a big contract he stops playing with his heart now that he's got his payday and doesn't have to work so hard any more.)

Yeah, this place really isn't what it used to be.

After all, I myself had just commented that this football thing is like modern gladiators. They put a bunch of guys out there to pound the pieces out of each other, and we fill an entire stadium (not to mention Sunday afternoons all over the country) to watch it happen. We glorify the players (who abuse drugs, women, and dogs in their leisure time) and have an entire culture built around this "sport."

And these guys can't even be humble. What's WRONG with them?

But something didn't jive with those thoughts. My "feel good" was starting to get scrambled.

I thought of how Russ shakes his head at me with a half smile when I say, "Who couldn't like ME? I'm the easiest person on the planet to like!" He has a hard time hearing someone toot their own horn. (Even though I was just being factual.)

And I thought of the affirmation I picked up from my Marine Corps dad that's front and center on my desk: "I'm the best there is."

Well, yeah, where IS the humility? Certainly not at my house.

My vibe was definitely sinking now. This path of thinking definitely didn't suit me. That encroaching "feel bad" was my Inner Being saying "wrong way, Jeannette."

So I started looking around - for new thoughts.

Is it wrong to think highly of yourself? Is it wrong to aspire to be the best? Is it wrong to acknowledge your successes with a big parade? I honestly considered it.

ha! (There it is again -my feel good coming back!)

Of course it's not wrong to toot our own horns! That sounds like a fabulous time, doesn't it? In fact, that's one of the best parts of those games: their little enjoyment of themselves in the end zones! It's so cute!

Truth be told, I'd like to see Russ do a little dance when he's happy. I would like to see my own little trademark happy dance, too.

I've written before about how one of my favorite clients does a happy dance in the parking lot when she gets her favorite parking spot. Just the thought of her dancing out in the lot makes me smile.

At a live theater production I attended the other day, the emcee on stage made a joke about someone in the audience and he was so proud of himself he did a little dance in his own "end zone" right there on stage. It made me laugh even more than his joke did!

I'm not arguing that cocky is attractive. Confidence sure is! But there's a middle ground that is fun to hang out in.

Now that I think of it, this is partly where the game of golf could improve. You know when the guy makes a great shot and he's so ... well, HUMBLE about it ... it's kind of a letdown. The crowd's going wild, but he just reaches down and pulls out his golf ball like it's just another day, just another shot. We're lucky to get a wave or half smile of acknowledgement from him.

Come ON.

Why not be proud of ourselves? Let's toot our horns and dance for whatever reasons inspire us! Let's stop downplaying ourselves and embrace our big beautiful beings, enjoying who we are and letting everyone else do the same.

Because let's face it ... we're the best there is!

And that thought feels good to me. So it's a keeper. ;)