Growing up in a very traditional family dynamic, with very traditional morals and ethics, has made me into the man I am today. I wouldn't trade my family or what characteristics we hold in high regard for anything in this world. However, there is one thing that my family instilled in me that I can't say I agree with wholeheartedly and that is being humble. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the one to go around and brag about my accomplishments–in fact, I hate it more than anything. The thing is, I've learned that being humble isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I was told that you shouldn't brag about your accomplishments or things your excel at, and I never really did. At all. But, I have come to realize that isn't the way to go about life.
I was always told not to brag because you will sound like a conceited jerk who wants everyone to know just how special they think they are. I was never the super confident type person growing up, so this hit me hard and it led to me hardly speaking about anything that I ever accomplished: a good grade I got, a special recognition or putting on some sort performance or event.
People might would come up to me and say things like, "Great job Phillip," or, "This turned out great. You should do it again." However, often times it would end up more like, "Why didn't you tell me about this?" or, "You should be proud of this. Why don't you want me telling anyone?" All because I was too afraid someone might think that I was being boastful or trying to push my accomplishments on people who simply didn't care whether I accomplished anything or not.
But at the same time, I'm excited about my accomplishments and I am very tired of keeping them to myself. It's one of those things that shouldn't be kept to yourself. When you are proud of yourself and what you have done, you owe it to yourself to let the world know. Send that tweet about that biology test, you earned that 97 percent, especially since you spent the past few nights studying for endless hours. Post that picture to Instagram of that fly outfit you just bought at J. Crew. Don't worry about how many "likes" you might get on Facebook when you write an article about how you are scared to let others know how proud you are of what you have done (and I plan on doing just that). At the end of the day, it only matters what you think of yourself and what you accomplish in your life, not what others think about you or your accomplishments.
One more thing I learned about being excited and telling others about your accomplishments is that one day, you are going to have to be able to brag about yourself to your future employers. One thing I have been asked in every job interview I have ever had was, "Tell us about yourself?" and if you are anything like me, this question makes you cringe. It's a question designed to make you stand out and to give you a chance to make yourself look different from the other 100 applications that they have stacked up. The ability to brag about yourself and tell people exactly how you feel about your accomplishments will be a trait that will be very useful in the corporate world.
Being cocky and boastful is often confused with being confident, but don't let that scare you. If you think you're being cocky or bragging too much, trust me, someone will tell you, until then don't be afraid to let people know how proud you are.
I know I won't.
