June 26

HUMILITY MONTH: DAY 26: “If you desire to know or learn anything to your advantage, then take delight in being unknown and unregarded.

A true understanding and humble estimate of oneself is the highest and most valuable of all lessons. To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.” ― Thomas à Kempis

We need to be balanced in this step. We need to keep ourselves in perspective. When I think too highly of myself, I am arrogant and out of balance. I cannot accept honest input or assessment from myself or others when I am in this space.

The other extreme is to be thinking I am a total piece of shit…worthless and useless and loveless. That discounts the amazing life that has been GIFTED to me in this world, on this planet, in this Universe. And THAT is a tremendous grace. Then there is the whole idea that I am again GIFTED with recovery…deep and significant spiritual direction from a loving Universal Power that wants me to be successful and live in accordance with a Universal Plan created for me at the inception of my own creation.

Arrogance tells me that I am the Princess, Supreme ruler of all I can see and touch and grab. That does not work for me or any others who may dwell within that realm.

Worthlessness tells me I have no reason, no love, nothing to even be here for. Maximum self-pity and, again, total  arrogance, to be that low.

When I recognize that I am one of 7.7 billion people inhabiting this marble, I am okay with that. We are all children of the Universal Power, trying our best to live together and work together and BE together for the purposes that best fit our souls.

That is a big job. There is SO much to learn about how to do THAT. I see amazing, and some not-so-amazing examples of that all around me. I can learn from some of them how to do it better, always. I am never going to graduate with a degree in humility or even humanity. I would love to be where I feel like I do my best every day. I know I can get there. It is a never-reached goal, to be a better person and treat others like friends.

The biggest challenge in this life is learning to get along well with others. I do okay, it seems, for a while. Then I hit a bump and it seems to bring down the house of cards I thought I had going on. It is a challenge that I will work on every day. Because my love for the Power that I am getting to know more every day opens me up to all the other kids. And SO MANY I have not even met yet. Cool gig, isn’t it?