True humility is a quiet acknowledgment of, and an appreciation for, the gifts and strengths that we possess.
Many people think that humility has more to do with self-deprecation, with belittling our strengths and not taking credit where credit is genuinely due. By many standards, a humble person is one who doesn’t appreciate his own gifts, but rather seeks to demean them.
Psychologists and teachers and coaches and leaders all agree, the vast majority of greatness comes from focusing on our strengths. This focus is not in a way that belittles others; it’s a confident acceptance that our strengths and our gifts are exactly that: gifts.
If we are not grateful for the gifts that we have, we are likely to become bitter over what we don’t have. Bitterness is a poor substitute for humility.
But if we can focus our attention upon the gifts that we have been given, we will avoid bitterness over our perceived shortcomings.
If we could somehow eliminate that kind of comparative, competitive culture, it would be a different world. Of course, we cannot change the culture of the world in which we live, and most people adjust to living within a framework of comparison and competition.
We can change ourselves, and thereby influence the atmosphere of the world in which we live.
When we consistently remind ourselves that we have gifts that are worth appreciating and exploring, we choose to exit that comparative, competitive framework. Instead, we discover that we can exist in something so much more inspiring and motivating: a place where we embrace our gifts and work each day towards becoming all that we are created to be.
- Exercise:
What are some of your “gifts”?
What is one way that you have shown gratitude this week for one of your gifts?
Integral Development Forum 