Christina’s question this week:
What’s your take on humility? And does yours make you more prosperous?
Christina says humility to her means “understanding that even though confident is a good way to be, humble is an even better way to be.”
I believe humility is the feeling that creeps in when we feel like someone is giving us too much credit. This doesn’t mean we’re not proud of our accomplishments and/or what it took to make them. It means we’re aware that all isn’t necessarily as it appears to be. Speaking only for myself, I find that when people start complimenting me I start thinking of all the flaws I know exist. It’s my brain’s way of reminding me I’m not perfect. To me humility is that moment in your life when you stop striving to be perfect and can simply shrug and say “I’m not perfect” or as I recently put it on my Facebook page. “I may not always succeed. I’m not perfect and don’t pretend to be. But if you can forgive my faults, I’ll forgive yours. We’ll just enjoy each other’s company on this ride we call life.”
So does this make me more prosperous? Now that’s the million dollar question. I think my approach of seeing humility as meaning I don’t have to be perfect makes me less rigid and more approachable. I’m more willing to accept the small successes and let go of the judgments of others. In a recent poem, I wrote about the temptation to change one’s self to meet other expectations and the impending resentments that creep into the relationship when this happens. I believe we are most prosperous when we accept who we are, accept others for themselves, and realize none of us are perfect. So, while I can’t answer whether it makes me more prosperous from a monetary standpoint - this approach is still too new for me - I can say that I feel more prosperous as a human being.
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February 27th, 2010 at 10:35 am Love it! ;)