Humility: The Lesson Some People Need

For me, one of the most appealing aspects of writing is the ability to notice and capture the patterns of life all around us.  As I observe people at work or in my personal life, I sense that people are feeling beaten down.

It may be by the job and the tasks that eat away at the minutes that they so desperately want to do something more meaningful.  It may be that they are in a personal relationship that is not satisfying in some way, whether that be a friend, a spouse or partner.  Either way, this observation is made more evident when I see people judging others without seeking to understand.

A few months ago, I wrote that everyone has something.  That is true.  And, most people keep their “something” very private.  In this country, we are taught from an early age that we will appear weak if we show that we face problems.  We put on a brave front and for the most part, go it alone.

The best advice to start off the week is to focus time on humility.

You may not be the person who is judging others, but you may be the person who can teach others to be humble.  You may be the person struggling with a situation and need to step back, humbly, and try to see the situation from the other person’s perspective.  Or, you may be the person who thinks they are being helpful when in reality they are just making assumptions about another person’s life and hurting them more than you can imagine.

As my good friend Joe Gerstandt would say, “Be good to each other.”