Humility

I have always been drawn to quiet and humble individuals. This might sound funny to those who know me, because I am anything but a quiet individual. People I have told this to generally joke that it is probably because I like having someone to dominate and who will listen to me. However, the reason is quite the opposite.

Music in a Crowded Room

Have you ever been in a crowded room with music in the background and everyone spoke louder just to hear each other? What is everyone’s automatic reaction when the music goes off? Generally, people go quiet, look and listen for what is going on.

Have you ever been that person that is talking just as the music is turned off? All of the sudden it feels like you are practically yelling what you were saying and everyone seems to be staring, grinning or giggling at you.

That is how I feel when I am around a quiet and humble person. For some unknown reason these people make me very self-aware. And that is why I like it. This self-awareness causes me to stop, look and listen—to think before I speak or act—and to turn my attention to someone else.

Finding Humility
For this reason, its like I am drawn to them. I have this desire to find out what makes these people tick. I want to know if they are humble because it is a natural part of their character or if something has happened in their life? I have this desire to set myself aside for a moment and get to know them. To see if there is something I can learn from them. To see if they are going through a hard time and if there is something I could do to help them. All of the sudden I have this desire to put someone else before myself. Humble people inadvertently humble me in return.

Paradoxically, humility helps me become more self-aware because I am less self-absorbed. Uncovering humility forces me to learn how to mesh this foreign quality with all of my other good qualities that come more naturally. Humility does not mean submission to everything in my path, but it does mean being willing to submit if necessary. It does not even mean that I am quiet all the time, but it does mean that I am willing to listen. In its simplest form, humility helps me recognize that I am no more important than anyone else. It teaches me how to keep my confidence in check and it prevents me from spilling over into arrogance and error. Humility helps me uncover my weaknesses and recognize where I can improve. It teaches me to be patient and temperate in my actions and the master of myself.

These results allow me to uncover and invite a new level of inner peace and tranquility into my life that is hard to find. It causes me to love and respect others as well as myself because it helps me see truth more clearly. Humility makes me a better person. That is why I love it so much.

Choosing Humility

This causes me to think of three scriptures from the Book of Mormon and the Bible:

Alma 32:16
Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble;… 

This is what I call self-willed humility. It is choosing humility. You invite humility into your life. Self-willed humility helps us recognize our weakness on our own before others or circumstances cause us to. Self-willed humility also allows us to learn to accept and move beyond what others or circumstances may shove in our faces, rather than embrace the natural instincts of denial, bitterness or pride.

 Ether 12:27
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Everyone has weaknesses. It is up to us to allow our weaknesses to humble us through error or for us to be humble enough to recognize our weakness before error. Am I perfect at it? Not by a long shot. But I think the effort to invite humility into our lives is what matters and eventually we will get it down.

James 4:6&10
...God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. . . . Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

If we choose the path of humility, whether compelled or self-willed, we will learn to recognize our weaknesses more clearly, improve our lives more fully, find a new level of respect for ourselves and from others, and discover the sweet inner peace. All of these blessings come from God. The level of selflessness and self-awareness we gain through humility is simply our ability to hear and implement God's whisperings more clearly in our lives.