I feel compelled to share a conversation I had with my friend and mentor. We were talking about how people behave or act out of something they feel accomplished with.

And he said "I think I'm a proud person but I don't have an ego anymore. I used to! Lol"

So I asked him to tell me the difference between being proud and egoistic.

And he answered:

Well I may be wrong in semantics here but the way I'm trying to explain it is this. I like to take pride in what I do. And when I do something I try do it the best way possible so that I create the best of what that is or can be. So I'm proud in that respect, in wanting to be the best at something I take on. And if I've achieved something that I think is great, I am proud. And I also enjoy being recognized for me having achieved something great, or that I've done something and created something great and of value.

When I say I don't have an ego I think that stems from insecurity. When I say ego, I see it as a negative character trait. So wanting to be great or greater at the expense of others, for example. Or destroying things and people in order that I may achieve my goals and greatness, for my own sake! That's having an ego, in my view — not being humble and kind, desire being confident in your ability.

I think that kind of expression of ego comes from an insecurity of some sort deep within us. I used to be insecure because of the many things I had to go through as a child. But as I gained confidence and accumulated successful experiences, that ego started shedding away. I didn't feel a need to control or dominate people anymore to prove anything.
I enjoyed working with people to elevate everyone as we collectively achieve and create something great, together!

So I guess that's what I meant when I said I'm proud but don't have an ego. I'm not going to join in a cock fight to "prove my manliness" ... I don't need to. I've proven myself to myself and that is all I truly need. Now I just continue to work hard and create things I want to work on with people I enjoy working with.