For some people, pride has a particular meaning; driven by what they fear might happen.
You may recognise them as people who:
- turn down a role because it’s ‘beneath them’;
- are afraid of being judged poorly and, instead of asking for help, persist in a role they are incapable of doing well;
- do not to take a risk in their career or business because they can’t bear lose face should things not work out; and
- who won’t admit to making a mistake, much less apologise for it – ultimately damaging trust in their relationships.
Regardless of their excuses, it might appear that pride is intended to impose limits – preventing them from achieving their full potential.
For a few others though, pride plays a special role when it comes to achievements and feeling good about those things we have made happen.
IT Professional and National Para Table Tennis Competitor
Take Sy Pham, competing for the first time at the Fiji Para Table Tennis (PTT) Open.
He would have to be feeling good as his own journey has most certainly been a new and particularly proud one.
Sy Pham is a 33-year old IT professional and living with Polio since childhood.
I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them.
Pablo Picasso
In 2013, he first became involved in competitive table tennis by joining a club that caters for people with disabilities.
Such was his commitment that, fast-forward two years, Sy returns from a successful weeklong campaign in Suva – proud of his achievements and with some amazing results to boot!
2016 Fiji Para Table Tennis Open
The Open consisted of 24 players from 9 different countries: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tuvalu, Samoa, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Following on from the Oceania Regional Para Table Tennis (PTT) Training Open Camp for the first four days, the three-day competition started in earnest.
Some old rivalries continued. Some new ones formed.
For all involved, we are told there were oodles of fun, plenty of fighting spirit and intense competition as temperatures exceeded 34 degrees (Celsius) and 96% humidity.
Competition is a by-product of productive work, not its goal. A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.
Ayn Rand
Proud and Inspired
Sy returned to his hometown of Melbourne, proud to have achieved silver and bronze medals.
As Sy prepares for his next adventure to compete at the Australian National Championships in April, he has embraced an enviable goal of qualifying for both the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and Paralympic Games in 2020.
Lofty goals indeed!
There’s a particularly relevant and inspiring article about pride on the Forbes website that questions if pride can sabotage one’s chance of success.
It concludes by saying…
“Save your pride for the things you make happen, rather than what you fear might happen. After all, it’s only when you have the courage to put your reputation on the line that you’ll ever know just how much you are capable of achieving.”
Save your pride for the things you make happen, rather than what you fear might happen. After all, it’s only when you have the courage to put your reputation on the line that you’ll ever know just how much you are capable of achieving.
Congratulations Sy Pham on your amazing achievements, We’re immensely proud of you.
You’re an inspiring example to those of us who always rise up, embrace challenges and set out to make it happen.
The Team at Semantia
(Semantia is a proud sponsor and supporter of Sy Pham in his quest to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and beyond.)