Where’s the Pride?

A very important word that gets ignored these days, especially in the workplace, is PRIDE!

Pride is the feeling that grows out of hard work. It comes from putting in sweat and effort in the pursuit of achieving something worthwhile.

People can be proud of what they do even if they don’t reach their final goal but made progress in the effort.

Lately, we've heard a lot about people deciding not to work. They're happy to collect a government check instead. Have they forgotten the importance of having PRIDE, or at least a sense of self value? Apparently, there are a lot of them. According to The Wall Street Journal, (Wednesday, January 5, 2022) November statistics revealed that workers were quitting their jobs at a record rate, while job openings stayed close to the highest levels ever.

Is our great country willing to coddle the self-centered among us—those who don’t want to work, and those who go to work but do the bare minimum while adding little or no value? Where is the PRIDE? Has it gone the way of responsibleness and trust, which together defined American productivity back in the 80s and 90s?

Individuals who avoid challenges, make little effort to better themselves, and ignore adding value are not only changing our country; they are missing out on the self-esteem that comes with having PRIDE in the work they do. They are denying themselves a deep feeling of satisfaction that comes from a level of achievement and knowing that they have given their all. It’s a feeling of pleasure one gets of being worthy and it comes for free.

So, where is the PRIDE? Hopefully, it’s too early to say, “It’s lost to history.”