I don't say it in a cocky way, but I take pride in being one of the best at doing what I do.
I would like to be proud of having written some poems that will be remembered, but I will never know whether I will have any reason to be proud of that.
What's really important in life? Sitting on a beach? Looking at television eight hours a day? I think we have to appreciate that we're alive for only a limited period of time, and we'll spend most of our lives working.