ARROGANCE ALWAYS SUCCUMBS TO HUMILITY

"The one-a-day  vitamin for the soul is helping another  person." Stephen Post
The other day someone asked me about my definition of humility. That was tough. I thought and thought  for days and  kept trying to come up with something that made sense to me. I know what it isn't but it is hard to describe what it is. When you get a compliment don't say I never really do look this good, or this dress has been hanging in  my closet for twenty years. That is not humility as some of us might think. It almost seems the opposite. A simple thank you is enough. At times people really do mean it and other times they want to be nice so either way it is a complement. Humility is not taking the last piece or end piece or constantly letting others take our place. That is more of a martyr type. People notice martyrs but they don't notice someone who is humble. I had the notion a humble person was a wilting flower. To the contrary I discovered a person of humility has learned to let go be themselves having a quiet confidence and  understanding that in the end winning and losing doesn't count. Life is truly simple when we peel all of the layers back. Life is about lessons of the heart. When we are not forgiven we learn how important forgiveness is. When we have felt inferior we learn the importance or respecting everyone's individuality. We are basically on the road to humility. In life there are never any winners, losers, superiors or inferiors. We can feel that way ourselves or allow others to  make us feel that way. Taking control of ourselves and our own lives is about confidence and humility. We are safe in the knowledge that we are learning with the heart and open to the vibrational feelings of others and ourselves. At that point we come to terms with everyone's feelings of inadequacy. Humility is a step above those feelings because when you are humble you are flaunting respect for everyone's journey and are willing to boost all that you can along the way as well as accepting of the help from others. That is my take of humility. The will to trek towards a greater awareness beyond what we see.
"Today see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily but also to those who need it so much." Daphne Rose Kingma

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DEVELOP CONFIDENCE DISCARD FEAR

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt

 Many times we allow others to dictate the rules and pass judgment on us. Of course at work our superiors do it all the time. The problem is bosses are not always correct in their conclusions of our work or behavior. Why one boss finds our work very good while another condemns it is frustrating.  It is because like everything else, it is subjective. My idea about how to go about building something will most likely differ from your ideas about a structure.  The person who gets to dictate is the person with more power.  This does not mean they really have a better plan. It simply means they have the control over the rules. When one dictates the procedures, one also dictates the desired result. Even if we follow someone else’s guidelines, there is no guarantee of the outcome. The only guarantee is that we will take the blame if we are not successful. The truth is many people are diminished and insecure because others fault them at work or in any group project or situation. The result is devastating to the person blamed, who begins feeling inadequate about everything they attempt.

                We might think about the child on a sports team who is rarely played, so his job is to warm the bench. He loses precious time to improve his ball skills while the players who get more field time advance impressively. What happens is the athletes playing regularly build their confidence while those players who frequently sit out most of the game, build their self-doubt. At times this can carry over into other areas of their lives. Adults who have trouble getting along with the boss are in the same situation. They can’t seem to get it right or improve whatever their boss is recommending. It would occur to any thinking person that it is not deliberate and the person is attempting to please their boss. After all they don’t want to lose their job. Curiously the insecure person doesn’t know how to get off of the damaging path they are treading.

The person becomes subordinate, has self-doubt and low self-esteem. These feelings add to his or her dilemma. What this person might have attempted before their insecurity fills them with fear. They are already under scrutiny and can’t afford to make any mistakes. They begin doing everything by the rule book without any thoughts of good or bad. In the end they fail totally because the odds have been successfully stacked against them. The sorry part is that they are now diminished as a person and innately feel like a failure. They have lost their self-confidence and desire to try anything new. It carries into all areas of their lives and we now see a depressed person.

At one time this person was relevant and viable and had some self-worth. They felt competent at making decisions. The point is they are still the same person. They simply allowed themselves to be defined as a person, by somebody else. This definition is far removed from who they really are and what they truly are capable of doing. They need to understand this or they will dive into a full blown depression. It is amazing the power one can wield over another without permission. It is astounding that people would hurt another so deeply without a care. If a boss is upset with someone’s work, they might simply get a mentor to intervene. They also might help the person with suggestions in a kind manner. Firing someone or ripping them apart is loathsome. There are other ways to deal with a person that would yield better results, keep their confidence intact and aid the workplace in the process.

Our attitudes, looks, age and personalities unfortunately enter into decisions others make about us. We may not be able to control these matters. What we can control and must control are our own beliefs. Our character is known to us and a higher being. Just because another person ranked higher in the job sphere does not mean they can dictate who or what we are. We must believe in ourselves and our abilities and leave no room for doubt. Having confidence and feeling adequate does not mean we can’t accept criticism and input from others. Even the boss has crossed the line if we feel subordinate, stupid, incapable and immobilized. It really is our choice to refrain from believing this defines us. We are so much more than that. We are so much more than others even know about us. We might have to learn new things but we are capable of learning. Given the correct tools advice and help, we can accomplish much.

If we are uncomfortable in a work situation, we might think about switching areas within a company, switching hours or teams or attempting to find employment elsewhere. We always have choices. We should never feel boxed in. When we believe we have no alternatives, that is the time  we shut down. We might have to look around and search for our answers elsewhere. We might team up with another worker. We should be comfortable asking others for help or we might take a refresher course. What we cannot do is lose our value in our own eyes. All the wonderful things we do, can do and will do are lost if we give up on our-self. One person or one group’s interpretation of what we are is ludicrous. Step back and put the whole scene into focus. Sometimes change is good and might be the right thing to do. We can’t be afraid to step out into the unknown and take the chance. If we reflected we might realize things would not be any worse and they might just be better. Build your self-confidence and trust your own delineation of who you are.

"Don't be afraid to take a big step if needed. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." Anonymous

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Dr. Martin Luther King

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Roads That Lead Nowhere

"Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way, lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley. But always,  if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever have thought of, but one that will  ultimately prove good for us." A. J. Cronin

I have recently been the recipient of 3 young peoples' cries for help. Actually the parents were the ones requesting the aid. It seems to be an epidemic. Young people get so lost in their unhappiness and powerlessness that they spiral downward quickly. Maybe it is time for all of us to recognize others needs. Sometimes through helping another, we can also help ourselves. So many feel trapped in an existence that they cannot control or change. Of course this isn't the case but if one believes it to be true then for all intensive purposes it is. It is similar to hypochondria. If one believes  they have an illness, they will suffer as much as if they truly did have the disease. We need to break the spiral by recognizing the triggers sooner and intervening.

Life is almost impossible to take. At times many of us just think it is too difficult. That is when we should ask for help. We need a listening ear, a comforting embrace outside intervention or a new frame of mind. It doesn't  need to  be life threatening but for young people, who view the world narrowly, it might be. They can't see beyond the mountains they can't climb. One day they might fly  over these mountains but for the moment they or we are trapped. As adults we need to take cries for help seriously. Just because a young person laments not having a girlfriend or boyfriend to us appears to be meaningless. To them it is heartbreaking and diminishing. They feel like they are a loser and they turn to outside things to make the pain disappear if only for a short while.

 Sometimes parents think oh in time they'll get over it and little attention is paid to this situation. I am not  blaming parents by any means and many times even with total intervention the situation gets worse. But for those situations that might get better with immediate attention, I suggest a focusing in on a child or teens problem. They will not whine or complain but they  will appear unhappy and withdrawn. Pay attention. Waiting is not an answer. Step in right away. Don't worry about appearing foolish. Better to be foolish and mistaken than lax and have a major  problem. One needs to put other issues aside and deal with what is at hand. Partial or small attention to the matter will not get it resolved. Your full focus must be given. Place its' importance high. Talk talk  talk with your child, spend time with them, don't leave their side even if they tell you they are okay and you can go about your business. Assume they are not and keep your attention. Find groups or sports or community activities for them to be a part of depending on their likes. Join something together if you can. Do a clean up of the town, coach a younger group of kids with them, encourage them to join a fire department explorer group or get them a job. The point is they need to feel wanted, appreciated and substantiated. They need to feel worthwhile. We all need to feel this. They are in crises at the moment so it is more important for their needs to come first even before our pleasures or downtime.

Search,  ask questions, never say I've tried everything because you haven't and the stakes are too high to  stop or let go. Diverting attention to a worthier cause or effort will redefine who they are. It might take a long time in the struggle and an abundance of effort on our part, but we will possibly have the results we strive for. If any person close to us, be it child or adult, is in an inner conflict, it becomes necessary for us to get involved in any manner that we can to remedy the situation. If it is ourselves that has the problem, recognize it and seek help immediately. Like clouds on a rainy day, it will pass in time and the sun again will shine.

"Progress always involves risks. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." Frederick Wilcox

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Calvin Coolidge

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Actions That Avoid Conflict.

"What you dislike in another take care to correct in yourself." Thomas Spratt
"Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Oliver Goldsmith


Insecurity breeds contempt for any kind of boastful comment. Every time a sibling or sibling-in-law shares the most recent event in her young or older child's life does not mean he or she is boastful. Size is not better. Learning is not intelligence. Athletic ability is not valor or prowess. Beauty never denotes inner quality. Why then do we fret? We cannot be insecure in our own hearts. Pitting siblings or grandchildren against each other creates animosity and tension. Stop self-doubt. Each of us holds the potential for greatness. Maybe if we respond with a simple reply of acknowledgement to the parent, we will avoid confrontation, "a who is greater match", and making a memory we'd rather forget.  Viewing each other in a more vulnerable way just might help us to accept the person while understanding each others striving to simply be. While at your holiday gathering, look for and enjoy the good of the moment.

"The hardest thing for any young couple to learn is that other parents have perfect children also."
Herbert Prochnow

"All kids are gifted, some just open their packages earlier than others." Michael  Carr

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