Jim Tunney, the dean of National Football League referees, wrote a blog post recently that caught my eye. He mentioned how when one NFL defensive player intercepts a pass, most of the defensive unit on the field runs to an end zone for a photo op. These players and many others feel the defensive unit is just taking pride in making a big play.

However, a fan wrote to Tunney, describing such tactics as indulgent showboating. Then the fan asked how he should explain to his teenage son what pride is and how to define it.

Tunney had a great response: “Pride is like faith. You can’t touch it, but you can see it if you know what to look for. A simile might be that it is like carbon monoxide -- colorless, odorless and tasteless. Intoxicating might be an apt word in that pride can be good or bad.”

Pride is a complicated emotion. It can propel people to great accomplishments while also causing some to behave horrendously. Some people believe pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.

Jessica Tracy, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, says the darker side of pride traces back to ancient religious scholars. She said: “In the Bible, pride is deadly. Dante saw it as a deadly sin.”

In her book, “Take Pride: Why the Deadly Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success,” Tracy writes about two different kinds of pride: “Hubristic pride and authentic pride.” The problematic hubristic pride is about arrogance and egotism. Insecurity is a chief culprit.

On the other hand, Tracy says authentic pride “is what motivates us to work hard and achieve.”

Most often, pride has a negative connotation. With Tracy’s definition, it should be a positive. There is nothing negative in taking pride in your work, your achievements or your employees.

Pride to me is being self-confident, but not egotistical. Pride is having a positive, can-do attitude because you will settle for nothing less than your level best.

I have always admired Bud Grant, former Hall of -Fame coach of the Minnesota Vikings, who told his players to “act like you’ve been there before” when they made a big play. In other words, the person who has the right to boast doesn’t have to, because the quality of their work demonstrates the pride they take in a job well done.

These are the elements of positive pride that I recommend:

-- Build a reputation for good work. My father, Jack, always told me, "You spend your whole lifetime building a good name and reputation, and one foolish act can destroy it."

-- Embrace your role. Find meaning in what you do and see the big picture of how you fit in. Teamwork is critically important in business and many parts of life.

-- Continue to improve. I’m a big believer in continuous education. You’re not in school once in a lifetime; you’re in school all your life.

-- Stay true to yourself. History is full of people who showed great pride in working hard, but when they reached the top, they forgot the people who helped them get there.

Religious author Craig Brian Larson tells the story of a bullfighter who made a tragic mistake. Near the end of a fight, he thrust his sword a final time into a wounded bull, which then collapsed. Thinking the fight over, the matador turned to the crowd to acknowledge the applause. The bull, however, rose one last time and lunged at the matador, goring him fatally.

Just when we think we've finished off pride, just when we turn to accept the congratulations of the crowd, pride stabs us in the back. We should never consider pride dead before we are.

Mackay’s Moral: Pride is the only poison that is good for you when swallowed.

Two of the most popular New Year’s resolutions are to exercise more and to lose weight. New year, new you -- right? However, by February -- or even earlier -- those purchased exercise machines are collecting dust and people are canceling gym memberships in droves.

Unfortunately, the only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down others, side-stepping responsibility and pushing their luck. Don’t be like the person who thinks that tossing and turning at night should be considered exercise, or like the guy who spends his time at the gym doing diddly squats.

Starting to exercise is easier than you think. Start small and give your body time to adjust. Even 10 minutes a day should fit into most schedules. Before long, 10 minutes won’t be enough. It’s hard to change habits, but this habit is worth the effort. Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, especially as we age. I’ve gained a lot by staying active.

A lot of people think they need to be athletic to exercise. Not true. There are many ways to stay active: ride a bike, dance, hike, do yoga, clean house and work in the garden. Listen to music or podcasts while you move. Just do something!

Consider the many free and simple ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine. If you are a golfer, walk the course instead of using a cart. Take the stairs instead of an elevator. Park farther away from your destination and walk the extra distance. I used to run three to five miles a day, but as years go by, I walk more instead. Walking is one of the easiest and most convenient activities you can do. Walking helps my fitness and clears my thinking.

This isn’t a new idea. Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician considered the father of Western medicine, wrote about the dangers of too little physical activity. Is it any wonder that the Olympic Games originated in Greece?

A zillion studies have documented the health benefits of an active lifestyle and exercise, such as fending off heart attacks, improving balance and reducing risk of falls, improving sleep, reducing stress and anxiety, controlling blood pressure and preventing diseases like arthritis, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

I’ve been exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day most of my life. It just makes me feel better, gives me energy to work more productively and, I hope, live longer. My philosophy is exercise doesn’t take time; it makes time.

Create a routine that works for you. For example, I’ve been told by countless trainers that exercising in the morning is best. I struggle to find time for that, but exercising at night while watching the news or a sporting event on TV works well for my schedule. The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen. Good things come to those who sweat.

Fitness is not about being better than someone else. It’s about being better than you used to be. And stretching is an important part of fitness. Did you know that stretching goes back to the ancient Greeks, who encouraged their soldiers and athletes to stretch?

I constantly preach this lesson: Practice makes perfect -- not true. You have to add one word. Perfect practice makes perfect. Practice something time and time again and, if you don’t know what you are doing, all you are really doing is perfecting an error. You have put a ceiling on how good you can become.

I’m a big believer in having coaches for various activities. My marathon coach helped me complete 10 marathons. I have a stretching coach named Aaron Taylor who has added years to my life. I am motivated by the statement "Sore today, strong tomorrow."

That’s why I recommend Aaron’s new book, “Stretching Your Way to a Pain-Free Life,” so you practice the right stretching concepts. You don’t want to hurt yourself. I’m such a believer, I wrote the foreword for his book.

I don’t know of any sport that you play where you don’t warm up first, and stretching should be part of the preparation. Just like exercise, a good stretch clears up your mind and body.

Aaron has given me an extra 10-15 yards on my golf drives thanks to superior stretching. That’s big for me because I play golf for $1 million in pride every week with my buddies, and I’ll take every advantage I can get!

Mackay’s Moral: Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.

In his Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Profiles of Courage,” U.S. President John F. Kennedy wrote eloquently about courage:

“Courage, the universal virtue, is comprehended by us all. For without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men have lived.

“The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy.”

Courage is regarded as one of the major human virtues. Courage is bravery, valor, standing up to danger, guts and nerves all rolled into one. It’s easy to be ordinary. Courage is what sets people apart from the crowd.

Stories of heroism are inspiring, but few of us will ever find ourselves in the kind of extraordinary situations that are the stuff of legend.

Consider the words of American poet Maya Angelou: “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

The good news is that courage is available to everyone. There are plenty of ways to be courageous in our lives. Doing something for the first time is often a demonstration of courage.

Maybe it’s just standing up for yourself or someone else. How about asking for a raise or a promotion at work, or leaving a job you don’t like and becoming an entrepreneur?

Maybe it’s simply having the courage to take responsibility for your actions -- or having the courage to be who you are and to be authentic.

It takes courage to persevere in difficulties when we are tempted to give up. I have never met a successful person who hasn’t had to overcome a little or a lot of adversity. Trying times are no time to quit trying.

One of the greatest challenges in life is doing what people say you can’t. When things seem most bleak, you must have the courage to carry on to success.

The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it; so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many people have given up too soon?

Anyone who has started a business or managed an organization understands the courage required to make decisions and take risks. Taking the easy way out is not an option.

In business, prospects may seem darkest just before they are about to turn. A little more perseverance, a little more effort, and what seemed a hopeless failure may turn into a glorious success.

But it also takes courage to know when to admit failure and move on to more productive ideas. Walking away from an investment of time and money is a decision many businesses have had to make. That’s not cowardice -- it’s courage born of wisdom.

Working up the courage to learn how to say that two-letter word -- no -- can be daunting at first. Do not feel guilty when you need to say no respectfully.

Some people feel like they have to say yes to almost anything they are asked to do. Others just want everyone to like them. They’re afraid if they say no, they might cause the person making the request to reject them.

I’m offering a challenge for the New Year: Be the courageous person that you know you can be. I think you’ll discover that demonstrating courage in small acts will enable you to trust your instincts when more difficult situations arise. Make courage an everyday thing, not something reserved for special occasions.

Here's a little story to illustrate my point. An unlikely hero was being hailed for standing up to an attacker twice his size, and was asked how he could be so brave.

“I was too scared to run,” he said, “and too dumb to think of anything else.”

But his friends said, “No, you didn’t have time to think. Courage is a natural instinct, if you have it.”

Mackay’s Moral: If a thing is worth having, it’s worth fighting for.