We live in a materialistic world where showing-off is considered cool and being the best at whatever we do is the ultimate goal. Most would think that humility is a lost quality in our times. Humility has its origin in the Latin word humilis, meaning “low.” However, it doesn’t mean putting yourself down or seeing yourself in poor light.
I see humility as an accurate understanding of our strengths and weaknesses along with a modest portrayal of self. From my experience I strongly believe that it is also directly related to our ability and willingness to learn. Humble people are better learners and problem solvers. Only if you are humble enough to say there is something for me to learn, can you be genuinely open to feedback. Paradoxically, a stubbornly low opinion of ourselves is also in contradiction to a humble view of ourselves as it is not an accurate image or perception of ourselves.
In college, a lecturer once shared that humility is an accurate perception of our place in the world. They say that our universe is so big we can’t really measure it. The part we can see has a radius of 47 billion light years. Of the at least 100 million galaxies we live in one, the Milky Way. And even in this galaxy, our constellation, our sun, is just one speck inside the huge dust of it all. In fact, there are 300 billion other stars in our tiny corner of space.
Our solar system is so tiny compared to the Milky Way, I can’t help but realize that our earth is just a tiny speck in relation even to that sun, which is just a speck in the galaxy, which is just a speck in the universe.
Isn’t it amazing to see that we are just a tiny tiny tiny speck in our known universe? We are definitely not the centre of the universe. My heart is filled with gratitude when I just think of where I am and all the blessings I’ve received so far in my life.
I came across this beautiful “Love Song to the World” which is pertinent to this topic
Being humble, with a heart filled with gratitude, is our key to peace of mind and tranquility in our chaotic world. Without these, we are doomed to a miserable life of constant anguish, endlessly clamouring for greater and better things, the end of which, we will never reach.
Kenrick Vaz 