How to avoid pride - advice by A. Kuraev
Pride is the most serious of human sins as it is what makes us self-sufficient and thus turns away from God. Yet is there anything wrong with taking pride in what we do, our successes and achievements? A short answer is usually No, but these may become bridges that lead us to real pride.
One common way of avoiding taking pride in our achievements is thinking of them as lesser achievements. Yet, this results in false humility which is in some sense another kind of pride. A. Kuraev suggests, what I think, a better solution:
When you are proud of having done your job well, try to think of something else where your performance is sub par. For example, yes, I am a good teacher, but I am a not such a good husband. Yes, I am a good friend, but I often get angry toward those whom I don’t know as well.
This approach helps to combat pride by reminding you where you stand as a whole person, yet avoids false humility.