Simplicity: What it means to be "humble"

When we are able to extend simplicity beyond material matters and to a mental simplicity it is common that we think about being humble. The desire for humility makes us think that we should deny all compliments and direct all attention away from ourselves... that we are not worthy of praise but only giving of ourselves. I'm no Latin expert, and I have a bad memory of where I read this, but I read once that to be humble is to acknowledge our own humanity. In that acknowledgment we become aware of our own limitations, the fact that we have faults and make common mistakes. But in that process we also come to know ourselves and that is what really makes us humble. When we know what drives us and what turns us off to the world around us. When we know what our strengths are and the things that really challenge us. In doing that we become willing to use those desires and strengths to give of ourselves, but we also use those turn offs and challenges to challenge ourselves to give to others. And if we are able to know ourselves to this level, then we also enable ourselves to receive praise and to praise others as well. There's a reason we give work groups the time to affirm one another on Friday afternoons, so that they can realize their own gifts and receive that praise, but also recognize the gifts of others and how our humanity calls us to be interdependent.

Spend some time this week reflecting on your own humility. Do you know yourself well enough that you can accept and give affirmation? Why or why not? Do you use your gifts to give of yourself? If so, how? If not, how could you? Challenge yourself to grow by spending some time reflecting on what makes you who you are. That is what makes you humble.