PROVE It: E = Examine Your Limitations and Commit to a Humble Lifestyle

Now that we’ve spent some time understanding what humility is, think about an event which you admire for its humility. Maybe it’s a confession or a selfless act. 

Here’s the message: You can do this too, you have a choice. You can hold onto your prideful emotions, or if you have replaced those with love or empathy or sympathy or compassion, you can now hold on to your emotional humility- even in the face of powerful events that demand that you give up that emotional humility. Psychologist Fred Luskin suggests that experiencing negative emotions is like watching a television channel that is depressing, angering, fear-producing, or bitterness-enhancing. But importantly, you can change channels. Choose a more positive, humble channel. 

You’ve worked hard throughout this growth path to give a lot of thought around the virtue of humility. Here’s another analogy to drive it home: If you keep touching a hot stove, you’ll keep getting burned. You have to change your actions and the way you think about the consequences to keep it from happening again.

So, remember: The pride that arises due to a memory or that comes from encountering a self-promoting situation doesn’t mean you’ve failed. 

When you feel pride pop up again, you can remind yourself: This pride I’m feeling doesn’t make me a bad person. I can choose to assess the situation humbly instead.