The Force of Humility

It seems that when we become disconnected from our roots, we move into a slow but sure free fall. Jim Collins, in his book How the Mighty Fall, says the beginning is “hubris” misplaced. In other words, we overestimate ourselves and our contribution to our success.

Why does that happen with such frequency? Smart men and women should know better. Or, at least it seems, we would have learned from history by now. Instead, we just seem to repeat history over and over again.

I believe the problem goes back to our basic insecurity as people. We desperately need to establish our security as human beings. We want to believe that we are standing on our own two feet, that we are independent. We don’t want to need anyone but ourselves. Well, how is that working for us?

The truth is it is impossible to create security for ourselves. We are incapable of being independently secure. Spiritually speaking, we needed a Creator to breathe us into being, and we need grace and love to make it through this life. Professionally speaking, we need people to be successful on any level. There is no such thing as an independently successful man or woman. We need help to get us where we want and need to go.

It would do well for us to remember who and what got us where we are. If we do, we will stay humble. Humility will keep us centered both in life and in work. It is the only force upon which we can successfully depend.



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