Mar 3, 2022
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking ofyourself less.” ~ C.S. Lewis
You are to be thanked and congratulated youfor being here! Either as a regular subscriber and part ofthe MZD community, or maybe a first time listener, chances are, youare here for two reasons — you love Nature, and, you have a desireto grow and become the best possible version of yourself forOptimum Personal Transformation. The Greeks had a word forthis — Arete´, which roughly translates to Virtue orExcellence.
Throughout the past several episodes, we’ve been taking a lookat the concept of cultivating your “Garden of Well-being”; that is,intentionally and thoughtfully, mindfully seeking ways toweed out the undesirable thoughts, vices and habits in our lives,and to plant, nurture and grow more goodness, virtue, andexcellence in its place; things that signify mental, physical,emotional and spiritual health. Things that aid us inbecoming our best selves, and in turn, help make the world abetter, more beautiful place to live in.
It’s kind of a no-brainer question really. “Do you want to wantto be happy and reach your full potential in your life? Orare you content to just be a mediocre version of yourself?”
If you answered, “Yes, I want to live up to my full potential”,then good for you! This is a sign of mental and emotionalhealth. To be discontented with mediocrity in one’s self isnot a bad thing. To want to be the healthiest human being youcan possibly be should be the goal of every one of us. Putanother way, as Krishnamurti says,
“It is no measure of your health to be well-adjusted to such aprofoundly sick society.”
Sadly, most of the planet has fallen asleep, and either doesn’tknow, doesn’t care, or is afraid to leave their comfort zone to dosomething about it. But not you. That’s why you’rehere. You’re on a journey. A quest to be your bestpossible self through connection with Nature.
There is one caveat to all this personal growth stuffthough. And that’s pride and the feeling of being betterthan, or having arrived. With pride comes stagnation and theunwillingness, or even the ability to Listen. And when you nolonger listen, and can no longer hear, you stop growing.
That’s why today we’re going to talk about cultivatingHumility. Humility is a slippery, elusive and almost vaporousthing. Like seeing an angel, or shadow out of the corner ofyour eye. The moment you focus on it, think you’ve acquiredit and the “piety” that comes with it, in that moment it begins toevaporate. The fire turns to smoke and disappears into thinair.
“I’m proud of my humility!” See what I mean?
Rick Warren tells us that humility is not denying yourstrengths. It is about being honest about yourweaknesses. C.S. Lewis put it another way,
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking ofyourself less.”
Humility is close kin to Gratitude. It is impossible to beGrateful without having a humble heart.
So what does humility look like?
Humility is letting someone go ahead of you in line when younotice they are in a hurry.
It is choosing to clean your office bathroom, even though youown the company.
In Nature, it is the mother Great-Horned Owl incubating her eggsfor a full month, never leaving the nest even once, until her broodputs on a second set of down feathers.
Native American hunters respectfully asking permission, with aheart of gratitude, to take the life of a deer or bison in order toprovide food and clothing for the tribe.
A mighty oak giving shade and shelter to a sparrow.
It is God becoming man, though King of the Universe, choosingbirth in a smelly stable to serve and save mankind…
I think you get the picture.
So with these images in mind, let’s begin today’s meditationwith a heart filled with gratitude.
MEDITATION
When you’re ready…
Today we stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon.
With a heart that is full, yet small. Silent. Inawe.
Here, nearly a billion tons of rock have been carved out of theground. All of the river water on Earth could fill thiscanyon and it would still only be half full. Standing at itswidest point you stare 18 miles across to the other side.This canyon stretches for 277 miles and is more than a mile deep,so vast it can even be seen from space.
A beautiful mystery of this blue planet, the question fills youwith wonder. “How did the Colorado River, only one tenth thesize of the mighty Mississippi carve its way into this beautiful,enormous canyon?” No one knows for sure. It boggles themind.
Layers of strata and geology, with their hues of burnt red,amber, golden yellows, greens, browns and even black earth tones ofendless variety tell only a part of the story of this place.The ancient story of eons and time almost before time. Layerupon layer of schist, shale, sandstone and limestone, serve as areminder that life is beautiful, full of wonder and mystery.Majestic and timeless. Knowledge is fathomless andunending. The Universe is big. We are small.
As your tiny mind struggles to take it all in and absorb thedetails and meaning of this place, you look down and catchyourself, almost losing your footing. This is a dangerousplace, but the danger is part of its incredible beauty. It isa place to be appreciated, yes. But first and foremost, it isa place to be respected. With this realization comes a depthof appreciation and humility you have never known before. Atrue view of life. An honest appraisal of your own smallnessand frailty. And deep, sincere appreciation of the fact thatyou have been invited in to play an important role in this giftcalled Life.
You smile and slowly bow your head and say, “Thank You!”
Let’s stay here a little longer and try to soak it all in…
“To go far, you must begin near.
And the nearest step is the most important one.”
~ Krishnamurti
And I would add, be wise and humble enough to take the stepnearest you with a grateful spirit.
Photo by Gautier Salles on Unsplash
