Hello again, friends, and welcome back to Infinite Threads. I’m Bob, and as always, I’m grateful you’re here with me today.

This podcast is all about love, connection, and compassion. And sometimes, that means questioning ideas we’ve taken for granted—ideas that have been passed down for generations but may not actually serve us.

Today, I want to talk about pride. Not in the way we usually think of it—not as something to celebrate, but as something to examine more closely.

We’ve been taught to take pride in things—our work, our accomplishments, our country, even who we are. And on the surface, that doesn’t seem like a bad thing, right? It feels good to be proud of what we’ve done, to stand tall and say, “I did this.” But when you really break it down, pride often carries an unspoken message: I am better because of this.

Pride can create separation. It can say, My country is better than yours. My way of life is superior. My achievements make me more valuable than others. It becomes a way of setting ourselves apart, of elevating ourselves above.

And that… doesn’t fit with love.

Love doesn’t compare. Love doesn’t rank. Love doesn’t say, I’m more important than you because of what I’ve done or where I come from. Love sees us all as equally valuable, equally worthy.

So maybe it’s time to rethink the word “pride.” Maybe it’s time to replace it with something better.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and the word that keeps coming to mind is honor.

Honor isn’t about setting yourself above others. It’s about respecting the value in something. You don’t take honor in your achievements—you hold them with honor. You don’t feel honor about where you come from—you carry it with honor.

See the difference? Honor keeps you connected to others. It allows you to recognize the good in yourself without needing to diminish anyone else.

When you honor something, you aren’t claiming it makes you superior. You’re simply recognizing its value, its worth—without comparison, without separation.

But the problem is, we’ve been trained for generations to use the word “pride.” It’s ingrained in us. We hear it everywhere: “Take pride in your work,” “Be proud of who you are,” “Stand with pride.” And because of that, shifting our language—our mindset—isn’t going to be easy.

But words matter. They shape how we see the world, how we see ourselves, and how we see others. So if we want to live in love, if we want to live in connection, then we need to start changing the way we speak.

What if, instead of telling a child to “take pride” in their work, we told them to hold their work with honor?

What if, instead of saying “I’m proud of my heritage,” we said “I carry my heritage with honor?”

What if, instead of celebrating pride, we celebrated respect, gratitude, and honor?

How would that change the way we see ourselves? How would that change the way we see each other?

I know this idea might be challenging. I know it goes against what we’ve been taught. But I believe that love requires us to challenge what separates us. And if pride is a word that creates division—even in subtle ways—then maybe it’s time to set it down.

Not because we don’t want to acknowledge what is good, what is valuable, what is worth celebrating. But because we want to do it in a way that keeps us connected.

Love doesn’t say, I am better than you. Love says, We are in this together.

And so, as we go forward, I want to challenge you to notice the word pride when it comes up. Pay attention to how it’s used. Ask yourself: Is this separating me from others? And if it is, try replacing it. Try using honor instead. Try using gratitude. Try using respect. See how it feels.

Because if we want to live in love, we have to start speaking the language of love.

Thank you for spending this time with me today. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this—does this idea resonate with you? Have you ever felt uneasy about the way pride is used? Let’s keep the conversation going.

I’ll see you tomorrow for another episode, where we’ll continue exploring love, connection, and the infinite threads that hold us all together. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

And remember—honor is something we carry, not something that separates.

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