Shrouded in humility
One of the biggest struggles of our time is dealing with the propensity of Ego. Ego is not novel, it is a known actor for as long as the mountains have known the conspicuous and often inconspicuous behavior of the sun. What makes Ego such an award-winning actor of our time is that it is fed by knowledge, education, the accumulation of wealth, the shallowness of material prosperity and the false sense of worth based on the number of likes we have received on social media. So, at a time when all is an expert and everyone has something to say, the earth spins slower around its axis as a result of the enormity of people’s ego.
Like many I have become an observer of the multiple servings of Ego we are provided by people across the globe. It is the premise from which people live and which sees the reluctance to apologize even when someone is clearly wrong. Ego covers itself with the fact that we have been afforded certain inalienable rights and uses as a soapbox, the fact that we have a right to an opinion about everything. Of course I support the notion that every person has a right to an opinion. My struggle however comes form the fact that what others often serve us from the menu of life is unpalatable. It is often empty, shallow and lacks the substance to be even counted as a gourmet meal.
What attracts me to others is the ability to be shrouded in humility. It is having a regard for others and understanding the power of words. It is the unbridled tongue and the condition of the heart which is untamed that can often cause more damage than the artillery dispensed by soldiers raging in a war. The total disregard for the feelings of others and the unapologetic demeanor displayed by the Ego is a frightening sight.
Yet, it is the very opposite of true humility. Humility is like a stream which refreshes the soul after hiking in the mountains on a scorching day. Its subtle presence creates the security in which all defenses renders unnecessary. To the one on the receiving end of humility it acts as a mirror to interrogate the condition of the heart. In addition, to the human heart who has afforded itself to be a conduit of humility it speaks of a silent power which is not known to the volatile soul. True humility affords us with the ability to lavish our souls with the enormity of depth. It speaks of a life that has plunged in the depths of the ocean of life where Ego knows only the shallow water of the shore. A life of humility radiates a contemplative confidence, one which is not false. It is anchored in the knowledge that life does not consist of the self alone, but it is about affording the multitude of others to weigh in and provide a perspective which makes life much more meaningful. The true value of life does not lie in the utterance of the individual, but in the collective proclamation which include the voices of others.
Humility is a different way of life. It is not loud, but it speaks volumes without saying a word. It is beyond comparison and does not merely welcome into the fold only those from a particular gender or creed, but it invites all who have grown tired of projecting a self which have been tarnished by the varnish of Ego. It actually means allowing oneself to be stripped down until true beauty exudes from a place which is only visited by those who have relinquished the superficial hand of what is called Ego.
