150 – When A Man Gets Too Cocky - a podcast by Alf Herigstad

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Before I get into today’s topic I am going to take a minute to talk about Stumptown Kilts.  They are the sponsor for today’s program.  They are helping to make it possible to bring you these Fridayepisodes. 
I am happy and proud to be able to share Stumptown Kilts with you, because these are the same kilts I wear every day, I have three of them, and I firmly believe they are the best, most well designed kilts available today.One cool thing about them that I really love, is that they are adjustable by 5 or 6 sizes.  Trust me, that’s a big deal.  I had this other kilt one time and if I gained or lost just a little weight then I couldn’t wear it, it sucked.  Stump town kilts gives you the freedom to expand or contract without losing a beat.
Right now, available exclusively to listeners of Being A Better Man, if you go to http://stumptownkilts.com (stumptownkilts.com) and select your next kilt, you can get 10% off the purchase price at check out by entering the code:  betterman.  Go check them out today at http://stumptownkilts.com (stumptownkilts.com).Today I want to talk about something that happened to me very recently…today actually.  Without going into great detail…I was performing a skilled task in a professional setting.  It was a task I had performed flawlessly many times before and it was something that came easily to me.
I was asked to demonstrate thistask for some other people that were learning how to do it, and I happily obliged.  Problem was…when I went to do it I totally screwed it up the first time.  I was shocked and dumbfounded!  How did this happen?
It was embarrassing, but I quickly regained composure and then I executed the task flawlessly three more times.  When I was asked later what happened I thought about it for a minute and then replied as honestly as I could.“I got cocky” was my response, and it was the truth…I had gained so much confidence with this task that I began to underestimate it.  Then I stopped focusing on it, I acted as though all I had to do was show up and the task would perform itself.  That is what happens when you get cocky.
I’m not sure if the word “cocky” is used in other english speaking countries, but there has to be a word for it in every language.  It happens when you get just a little too full of yourself.  When you start thinking you are better at something than anyone else, better than you really are.  When you feel you no longer have to apply yourself.Being cocky almost always ends in embarrassment, because it almost always happens when other people are watching, like it did with me today.  Often times it happens precisely when you are showing off.
When I was younger it might have flustered me, I would have gotten all angry at myself, but I have learned to give things no more weight than they actually deserve.  I just told everybody what happened, that I had gotten cocky, and joined them in having a laugh at my expense.  No big deal.Actually, I was happy it happened during a demonstration and not in a real scenario.  It was a great reminder, it humbled me a bit and caused me to remember how important it is not to lose focus on the things I’m doing.  It presented me with an opportunity to improve myself a bit, by reminding me that everything worth doing, is worth doing well.
It’s fine to know that you are good at something.  I encourage men to feel proud about the things they do well, there isn’t anything wrong with that, that in itself is not being cocky.  However…it’s one thing to feel good in that knowledge, to know it and feel satisfied about it, and quite another thing to make sure everybody else knows it by bragging about your abilities whenever you get the chance.It’s a thin line between the two, and one that men too often stumble over, like I did today.  There is something, an additional quality you can develop that will help temper your pride just enough, and keep you...

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