Humble Pie

It is our birthright to achieve a simple kind of reflection that
opens us up to higher aspects of our spiritual self. Humility is one
essential attitude that is needed for promotion of inner spiritual
harmony. Any self-conceit, whether nurtured by arrogance, intelligence,
wealth, status or the praise of others, is an obstacle on the path.
Genuine humility is not posturing it requires a constant willingness to
deny oneself, to be self analytical, and to be open to direction even
when it differs from one's own preconceived ideas.

The Virtue of Humility has been described as: "Perceiving one's place
in the world, not according to one's own accomplishments, but according
to the intrinsic value of all individuals." To be truly humble requires
a level of sincerity and honesty. The person who is humble and
self-effacing ultimately prospers and wins more respect from others
than the person who is proud and powerful. Nelson Mandela is a true
proponent of this philosophy, the contrast between him and the stance
taking by our own Prime Minister is remarkable, one is, and one
purports to be. Humility is staying constant and maintaining power on
the inside and not needing to control others on the outside.

It is our lack of humility that enslaves us in materialism. Moreover,
It is our lack of humility that breeds glorification of human
accomplishments, instead of acknowledging these as God's gifts through
us.

Since humility is not considered sexy, it gains less respect as a
weapon of virtue than do the attributes of courage, loyalty and
fidelity. Within the human condition, most of us struggle against the
spectra of vanity, and self-deception, for our entire lives, but also
being human, we are provided with tools that we can employ, namely:
integrity, faith and humility.

Authenticity is the key to humility. Humility that is play-acted, even
if you are the audience, is powerless; undeniably it becomes a weapon
of vanity rather than being used against it. To seek sincerity requires
the arduous duty of looking closely inside of self to see the light and
the dark, the good and the bad, the excellent and the poor. To accept
these things as truths is a daunting prospect, yet a very noble task.
Once the truth is seen, your job is to seek to improve absent virtues.
It is the journey towards the ideal that is the making of you, there
will never be one who reaches the ideal, and yet empowerment occurs
even though the ideal itself remains unreachable.

Sincere humility keeps the decent alert, observant and on guard, the
only way to keep the ego distanced is by vigilance. The humble man must
look first within himself, then to those around him for clues as to how
to win the battle of personal development. Therefore, the first step
towards spirituality is to give up self-ego and embrace humility.
Humility is based on self-respect. With self-respect there is knowledge
of one's own strength and with the balance of self-respect and humility
there is an acceptance and appreciation of one's qualities from the
inside.

Avoid the comfort of praise, you will in due course, earning honour and
praise from those who see you as virtuous. What's more, avoid placing
too much weight on this praise, even if it is procured on the power of
your own integrity.

Modesty allows the self to grow with dignity and integrity - not
needing the proof of an external show. It is a virtue that presents a
gentleness that does not remove from strength, courage, loyalty or any
virtue of the righteous. In reality, it enhances them by harmonising
the possessor, with those around them striking a contrast between the
lack of bluster and the quiet quality that resides within them.

It makes arrogance disappear and it creates an open mind and
recognition of the strengths of the self and others. A person with
humility listens to and accepts others. Whereas the arrogant person
damages or destroys valuing the uniqueness of others, as a result a
subtle violation of their fundamental rights takes place. The tendency
to impress, dominate or limit the freedom of others in order to prove
yourself diminishes the inner experience of worth, dignity and peace of
mind.

True humility expresses a modesty that should not be confused with
weakness or spineless submissiveness. Humility and inner peace go hand
in hand. The less compelled we are to prove ourselves to others, the
more likely we are to allow joy to flow into our lives. In reality,
people with a healthy sense of Self don't feel a need to prove
themselves to others.