Humility: What It Really Entails.

Introduction: 

Welcome my friend, 

Today is the beginning of the end, as we begin to use up what is left of the year on the first day of its last month.

A little introspection and reflection on what has been thus far, can either leave us fretting over what's undone or make us appreciate the opportunities left to still do them. 

On this end though, gratitude has become the practice because we've accepted life in its entirety, knowing that both comfort and challenge are the two sides of this coin.

It's this mindset that allows us to step into each day with the same level of enthusiasm and optimism. 

So, it's “Happy New Month Buddy!”

Let the rest of 2023 offer you the best of it. 

Discussion: 

In talking about humility, before we say that someone is humble, it's because they've shown through their actions and conduct that they're easy to interact with, expecting no special treatment because of status, qualification, wealth, or other social symbols. 

It's the quality of being well aware of our worth, without the ego trip of feeling superior or more deserving. 

While it's easy for us to explain it away like that in words, actually living in humility doesn't come easy because it mostly stands in the way of our human desire for importance, relevance and sometimes to take center stage.

This is why it's such a rare virtue, one that  truly endears, and commands respect for the aura of genuity and togetherness around those that possess it. 

As a result, even those who don't, may sometimes through pretense, fool others for a while, but like all charades eventually gets exposed by the test of time. 

■ What Humility Is Not  

Quite often, when we say a person has changed since their bag got bigger, it's because of our poor judgement of their character from the onset.

Humility isn't a strategy, and those who are considerate and agreeable only when they're in a disadvantaged position are actually powerless not humble.

If we're out having dinner with our sponsor and we speak to them kindly in one minute and the waitress uncouthly afterwards, it's also not it. 

Next is that, humility isn't a weakness. 

Those who don't want to be humble because they're not “about to take no nonsense” from anyone confuse it with being timid or naive. 

An inability to speak up for others and ourselves in the face of accusation and oppression or respond to mistreatments with distance are certainly not acts of this virtue and shouldn't be mistaken to be. 

To put ourselves in positions where we're humiliated is quite dishonourable and as a guide we can set principles that determine what we're willing to accept or not in our relationships.

Most importantly, humility isn't a character that is uncultivable in an individual. 

Where excellence is an act, then it can be learned overtime. 

From the humble folks around us, we can observe how to interact with others decently until it becomes a part of us. 

When we treat others the way we want to be treated, we make meek hearts out of proud men.

■ Humility And Low Self Esteem 

One cliché goes “we're all something but no one is everything”, and that's right because we all have our gifts, something we have to offer, yet all of which doesn't make us indispensable. 

So while we're well aware of our contributions we're also aware that we can be replaced by others who even if aren't as good at the time, will eventually become, learning on the job.

Where low self esteem condones mistreatment because it sees love as a favour, humility is aware of its worth and will demand healthy interactions.

Also, when we carry ourselves with poise and grace refusing to interact with low energy of small talk, gossip and other unrewarding and time wasting activities, those who do will call us arrogant.  

This shouldn't make us feel guilty.

It's self care to reject a space on tables that are more draining than uplifting and judging us for it says more about their character than ours.

■ The Wisest Act Of Humility 

It's such arrogance to think that we can live as we like, when the breath of life can easily be taken away from us in an instant. 

Our God who gave us this gift has a purpose for it which transcends all our information, analysis and planning, yet in our pride we want to do things our own way using “proven strategies and blueprint”.

Time and again, faith requires us to be humble enough to follow God's lead even when we don't see the path because we trust him as the good Shepherd.

Here, we know that in his perfect wisdom he leads his sheep through both the green pastures and rocky hills of life and is sufficient and faithful to take care of them.

Summary:

Humility isn't letting people run over us, rather it's setting solid boundaries that make others understand the level of decorum to apply when interacting with us and having an aura that instills it.

When we're humble, we can serve others because we understand that it's the ultimate purpose for which God has given us every of our ability. 

Master Apprentice.

www.twitter.com/truekingmaker