Humility is a word we don't hear very often. To be honest, it's not a word I discovered the real meaning of until recent years. That's not to say that I am arrogant (though I can be sometimes and it isn't pretty); I just didn't understand the value of it. There is something intrinsically beautiful about encountering a person who is humble. As I sit here and think about my experiences, I can probably count on one hand the number of people I have met who were truly humble. I remember each and every one of them and even though there are some I am no longer in touch with, my respect for them is as strong as the day I met them. They are people who left an indelible mark on my life.
So, why is it so valuable to be humble? I am struggling to put it into words. I know that there are occasions where I have felt humbled. For example, just last week I met a woman who is fighting yet another bout with cancer, she has no surviving husband or children and at 68 years old, she has discovered her true purpose in life. She shines with her joy, her eyes actually sparkle yet she has leukemia, is missing several organs and has a pace-maker. When I met her, I was instantly taken with her humility. I was in awe of her but she wasn't in awe of herself! She was just getting on with her life and she was loving every minute of it.
It is so easy to get wrapped up in how other people see us. I know I have spent my entire adult life trying to extricate myself from this trap. When I realized there was no "hero cookie" for life, it was a huge wake-up call for me. Doing things in your life that are not authentic might fool the people around you but you will always know the truth. If we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that we aren't being authentic and then do something about it. This is no easy feat but it has occurred to me that this is where true humility comes from.
The question is, why does it matter? Why is humility so important? I believe our egos add filters to our world view. The stronger the ego, the more filters. How we "see ourselves" affects how we see the outside world. Some of us have filters of anger and resentment and some of us are fearful. Some of us have filters of inadequacy and some of us have "rosie" filters. Some of us even have filters of invulnerability! Since these are related to how we see ourselves and not who we really are, they skew our view of the world. To be humble is a less filtered world view. It requires understanding and acceptance. When we are humble, we don't judge ourselves or others and we don't fill our minds with expectations. Our actions come from a place that is authentic and we treat others as though theirs are the same. That is why people with humility make us feel humble. They show us what is possible for ourselves.
If you have managed to stick with me this far, I am very impressed because I was getting a little preachy there. Don't worry, I'm not getting too big for my britches, I just wanted everyone to know that I am working on it. I get it. My life is a work in progress and this year I have sharpened my tools; precision is the name of the game. I also recognize that this is my journey and believe me when I tell you that I have no expectations for anyone else to come along for the ride but if you want to, I would sure be thrilled to have you with me!
