11/10/2025
I had a mentor in college that used to sat, "Humility is truth." It has been a helpful guide. Love this poem from Lockie Phillips...
“Ain’t Modest, Just Lyin’”
I’ve rode with them who brag too loud,
Their egos flappin’ proud for the crowd.
But worse than that, I’ve come to see,
Is the one who whispers, “Aw, not me.”
They’ll tip their hat, act meek and small,
Pretend they ain’t no hand at all.
But soon as backs are turned away,
They is polishin’ up their halo clay.
Says, “Shucks, I ain’t that good a rider,”
While sittin’ taller, grin growin’ wider.
“I just get lucky, that’s all, friend,”
But luck don’t rope nor saddle mend.
Now truth don’t shine in fancy talk,
Nor hide in mud from humble walk.
The honest ones just do their best,
And let the dust do all the rest.
So if you’re ridin’ for the brand,
Don’t play small to look grand.
A steady heart, a straight-spoke word
That’s the finest thing I’ve ever heard.
‘Cause false modesty’s just pride in disguise,
A coyote grinnin’ in sheep’s eyes.
Be plain, be true, don’t twist nor tryin’
Ain’t modest, friend,
You’re just lyin’.
I’ve seen them that ride with fire in their hand,
And others walk that same dry land
Soft-footed, quiet, eyes cast low,
Sayin’ “Aw, I ain’t much, you know.”
But there’s a lie that wears a humble face,
A way to hide from your own grace.
It’s pride that’s scared of bein’ seen,
So it cloaks itself in “aw, not me.”
You can boast with chest puffed wide,
Or bury truth where shame resides.
Either way, the heart gets lost,
And both roads carry the same cost.
I’ve learned out here beneath the stars,
Where the land don’t care who you are,
That honest work don’t need disguise,
And false modesty’s just fear in disguise.
The horse don’t care for practiced airs,
He feels what’s true, not what he hears.
He knows your worth by how you sit,
Not how you downplay talk of it.
So stand your ground, speak plain and sure,
You ain’t no less for bein’ pure.
Take the gift your hands can give,
And let the truth in you just live.
Out here, the sky’s too wide for games,
And dust don’t care about names.
Be steady, humble, clear inside,
That’s the quiet kind of pride.
