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“I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow
mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors
and to retrace my steps.” –
Gandhi
What is the price of being
humble? It is a weird question, right? Let me rephrase the question
then… How much as pride cost you?
If you are any bit like me, there is probably not enough time in
the day to name off the list of mistakes made by a proud spirit.
Recently, I found myself in a position where I had the opportunity to
stop and evaluate my own humility over the course of several encounters.
Let me tell you, I was very surprised by the results. I would have
considered myself a good person judging from my own set of standards. I
would have said that I am level headed. I would have said that I can be
fair and unbiased as much as one person can, but the truth is that is
bullshit. I am as many people are. I am self righteous, proud, and
driven by my own desires. Where has that gotten me? I have a list of
regrets that I keep buried in the back of my closet next to the
skeletons and Band-Aids. How
much as pride cost me? How much has pride cost you? Think carefully, I
am willing to bet that you can recall at least ten incidences today
where you had the opportunity to react humbly, but did not.
My father calls it
hardheaded, the condition that I have.
“You’re head is too hard for your own good.”
I am a product of my environment. We live in a “ME!” society. Who
is number one? Me. Who is pretty, pretty princess? Me. Who is the center
of the world? Me. It is not hard to see why our youth is growing up with
a complex of self-importance. Pride is the result of the fear of not
being good enough. From birth, we were conditioned to do better than the
next person does. It is hardly taught, that we should congratulate the
next person on the job well done.
It is probably truer that I say it is hardly taught that we
should be genuine in our congratulating the next person on what they
have done. Yet how often have you found yourself expecting praise for
something? Do not give me that mumbo jumbo, we have all done it at some
point in our lives. Have you
never put your foot in your mouth for stepping on someone else’s toes?
Really? Well, I have. I have
lost friends, been estranged from family members, suffered financially,
spiritually and emotionally all because I was too proud to do or not do
something.
If we are so perfect, than
how do we become we best? Man was made in the image of GOD, but that
does not make man gods.
Personal growth comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone, doing
something and then reevaluating failed attempts with honest heart. It is
harder to look at ourselves and see our own faults than it is to see
fault in someone else. Are you secure enough in yourself to recognize
and acknowledge when you are wrong? I could blame every person in my
life for everything that went wrong or that I never did, but would that
change the fact that there were mistakes made? No.
Would I be innocent of guilt? No. We are ultimately responsible
for every action and reaction we make.
So, just as we can accept credit for things we did right, we must
be able to accept responsibility for things that we did wrong. I am
human, I have limitations and I do make mistakes and will make mistakes
until the day I die. I pray that, yesterday’s mistakes and tomorrow’s
will not be the same. A wise
woman once told me that everything happens for a reason and sometimes
you may find yourself in the same situation because you didn’t learn the
lesson the first time around.
I have not heard even one
person say that they have suffered for being humble.
I have heard people say that they have suffered the cost of
pride. Some people are so
foolish that they do not even know they are suffering. Being humble is
one of the hardest things for a person to do. You may have a better
chance of ripping a car apart with your bare hands than being humble.
Humility, like a hug, is free and it is the gift that keeps giving. One
random act of kindness and mercy can set a chain reaction that has the
potential to reach depths far beyond man’s comprehension. Take time to
notice and get to know people for who they are without your own
judgment. Take time to
listen to someone else and really hear what they are saying. Put
yourself in someone else’s shoes. Put your pride aside to see the
situation from more than your perspective. How would you like meeting
and having to deal with you? It is perfectly okay to be equals. We were
born equals and taught to be the best. Why is being the best so
important? Who are you fighting to be the best for anyway? I do not mean
that you should lack confidence. I do mean that you should not be
arrogant. It is a thin line,
but there is a big difference. Do you know what that difference is?
Life is a lot like buying
items at a closeout sale, there are no returns. Was the price you paid
for pride worth what you got in the end?
If every person in the world were humble, there would be no war,
no famine, no hate and no fear. We would have Utopia. Wouldn’t humility
be worth that much? How can you become a humble person? Remember, you
are responsible for every action and reaction that you have. Reflect on
that the next time you encounter someone.
Be Blessed- C.L.
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