Humble pie tastes like shit....but seriously though.

The day I learned what humble meant was a truly life opening experience for me. We were halfway through our season and I hadn't thrown one interception all year. After the game in which I threw multiple touchdowns I was on cloud nine. On the ride home my father told me I need to stay humble. Having no inclination what that meant I asked him what humble meant. All he said to me was you'll see. A week goes by and I'm still dumbfounded as to what being humble meant. I would soon understand that word wholeheartedly.

My next football game I threw 5 interceptions. Immediately after the game he came up to me and said, "That is what being humble means." Ever since that day I appreciated the meaning of being humble.

Humility is a huge endeavor in sobriety because addicts tend to be prideful and hold onto that pride with our dear life. And for what reason? Pride comes before destruction.

I've been prideful time and time again. It has always led me back to the same place; a needle in my arm. Did I see it coming? Not really because my pride blinds my perception of reality. It blinds me of seeing the true value of myself, my integrity, and most importantly my character. As Martin Luther King once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Pride doesn't allow your true character to make the best decision for you. It discombobulates your inner self and raises unwanted confrontational feelings. Maybe this is what pride if supposed to do. Maybe it is supposed to give you the opportunity to put it aside at times of controversy so you don't make irrational choices that lead you in the wrong direction.

Everything I do today opens my eyes to the life lessons I thought I knew but actually know nothing about. It's like when you are a kid and you are watching a kid TV show. They are subtly imploring life lessons in each episode yet we fail to see it if we are looking at it as entertainment. Looking at those outside the box allows you to see what they really are.

Do I want to swallow my pride? Absolutely not. But I do know if I do then it allows me to move forward and not be forced to feel as if I'm trudging in mud or quicksand for that matter. Moving forward and staying in the present is what I am trying to do today. Old habits are hard to break but with each obstacle overcome gives me the opportunity to learn from it whether or not I handled it appropriately. It allows me to see myself in similar future occurrences and remember that swallowing my pride can bring a much more positive result than if I were to hold onto it.