What a strange part of us. Yet I used to cling to it in my youth. Everything was about my pride. I always wanted to be right. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be the one who never gave up.

But as years have passed, all of that has become nonsense.

Now my mental health is more important than my pride. Than leaving myself in places that weigh me down.

Pride after all comes because of how we think we will be perceived.

It’s the perception of others - of us, that scares us the most.

But when you let all that go…

A certain level of wisdom overtakes you. You feel so free.

Free to just be, to exist, to breathe, and to be so damn strong.

Because at the end of the day, none of that really matters. When you place principles and morals as your top priority instead of pride, you will immediately elevate in life. In the eyes of the sore losers no you won’t. But in the eyes of the correct, wealthy, wise, smart, higher classmen, it will be visible. You will be seen without trying.

Have you ever heard of ‘‘Your vibe attracts your tribe’’?

It's like the old saying goes: you create your own vibe and image based on how you want to be perceived. This can be influenced by others who have instilled their own values and beliefs on you. However, when you have your own moral compass, standards and truth, none of that should matter. It's like people who buy expensive brands to feel amongst the wealthy, but they are all sheep trying to impress other sheep who buy the same stuff. The truly wealthy can tell by the minor details, like the style and quality of your clothes, not just the colors or symbols. The same goes for one's character. When someone constantly demands respect, it's usually out of fake ego or pride. But when a person with genuine, respect-worthy character enters a room, people can feel it. It's in the way they speak, talk and carry themselves.

So, you’ll have to take a closer look around you, and yourself.

And it will be so painful - to let go of those you seek to take with you. The ones you connected to so closely, that you always want to keep them in your life. But if they don’t ride the same wave as you, you must ride the wave you know how, and leave them waiting for their own wave to catch.

So - if you’re living a life filled with pride, let it go. Cut that ego out, and replace it with principle, trust me, the level you’ll rise to will be worth losing all the lame shit.