HUMILITY

Humility is not about denying who I am. It is about knowing who I am not.

Is there anything wrong with knowing who I am? …what I have accomplished in the past? …what I am capable of accomplishing in the future? I do not think so.

I believe that each person is obligated to work very hard to know who he is, what he has accomplished in the past, and what he is capable of accomplishing in the future. The answers to these critical questions enable each person to set realistic goals for future achievements. The Almighty wants me to accomplish more with my life. He wants the same from you. You and I each need to know the answers to these and other difficult questions to come as close as possible to achieving what the Almighty wants from each of us.

Of course, bragging about who I am, what I have accomplished in the past, and/or what I am capable of accomplishing in the future contributes very little to knowing the answers to these questions. In my experience, people who brag about how important they are, what they have accomplished in the past, and what they are capable of accomplishing in the future have not really answered these questions effectively. Alternatively, they have answered the questions and found themselves inadequate. Bragging is all about covering up my inadequacies. (Yes, to my shame, I was one of those guys.) Bragging has nothing to do with making effective plans to maximize my chances of achieving what the Almighty wants me to achieve.

Knowing who I am NOT is also very important. I am NOT the Almighty’s gift to humanity. The world existed before I was born and will continue to exist after I am gone. In fact, the world could have existed even if I had never been born.

Is the world a little better because of what I have contributed during my life? We all hope that the answer to this question when applied to each of us is “yes.” Realistically, we need to recognize that no one person makes that much of a difference – with very few exceptions. What is the probability that you or I will have the impact of a Moses, a Jesus, a Mohammad, a Buddha, etc.? Let’s get real! The probability is zero. This thought should be humbling and relieving at the same time. It should be humbling because it should make us realize that almost no one is all that important. It should be relieving because it puts my responsibilities in perspective. I am not responsible to change the whole world, just to be the best me I can be. When you think about it, this actually is a unique opportunity. No one can be a better me than I can be.

Of course, I can fail to be the best me that I can be. In fact, I can fail at this miserably. But let’s be realistic. The absolutely best me I can be is less, perhaps much less, than the theoretical best me. I am human! I fail to achieve my very best at times. The Almighty is very aware of this human condition. He knows that almost no one becomes the absolutely best theoretical person he could be. The Almighty expects me to try to become the best real person (as opposed to theoretical person) I can be. He is willing to make allowances for my human frailties. He is willing to make allowances for your human frailties as well as everyone else’s.

When you think about it, maybe the Almighty is sending us a message. He, in His Absolute Greatness, is willing to make allowances for our frailties. Perhaps, we should do the same for our fellow man. Isn’t that what humility is really about?