Values of a Fearless Climber: Humility

The following is an excerpt from the book:

Grow a Pair of Antlers: The Fearless Climb to Lead Your Herd

Humility

I have always been a competitive person. I like this quality in me. Having the desire to win drives me to work hard, focus, and do my best, but sometimes it can get me into trouble. Many years ago, the company I was working for held a costume competition for Halloween. My girlfriend and I decided to dress up as a team and spent most of the night before making our costumes. We were a hamburger and french fries. She was the talented, creative energy behind the scenes. I was just a helper. We shopped, and cut, and sewed, and spray-painted, and produced top-quality work. We looked amazing! I would like to say we won the competition, but we didn’t. When the votes were tallied, our co-workers voted for me as the french fries, not my friend as the hamburger. We hadn’t thought to tell them to vote for us as a team. I was thrilled at my victory and didn’t once mention my friend. I didn’t thank her. I didn’t state that we were a team. I just basked in my glory. It took a perceptive co-worker to pull me aside and remind me about her feelings. That win almost cost me my best friend, but it taught me an important lesson about humility.