This post is inspired by this photo. I saw this in my usual topical search earlier in the week and I knew I wanted to use it at some point this week. It totally speaks humility to me, however, I just didn’t realize how much my own life would come to mirror it!
I am sick. Some sort of virus that just isn’t letting go. I joked in a facebook update that I was “hopped up on coffee and dayquil” and that there was nothing I couldn’t do! Ha! Actually the drugs just allowed me to limp through my day passably. Nothing about it said thrive and the moment they started to wear off the achy, snotty yuck returned.
As a generally blissful happy gal who races through her days with little concern about health and vitality this was like a glass of ice water in the face. I really couldn’t do everything I normally did. I needed to rest. I still do. I can feel a glimmer of better but truthfully the yuck is still more prevalent.
As, I said on Monday, my Bliss Habits show up just when they are needed.It is amazing how the case of the flu, or whatever I have, can bring humility to the fore. When you become debilitated, even in a small way, you realize how precious everything is. In my case, I also realize my body is telling me to slow down; Reflect; Heal. Stop the racing about and be.
I never do this. I go full speed trying to cram as much into every day as I can. If I can get my four year old busy with something then I have time to squeeze in a blog post, a load of laundry, something. If my husband takes our daughter on an adventure and I have the house to my self I don’t savor the solitude. I jump immediately into a project that I could never do when everyone was home.
Yesterday, Alejandro spoke to the powerful feedback mechanism humility can be if you let it. I’m going to use that power today and listen to what my body is telling me. Oh and I’ll likely be taking a nap. In the middle of the day. Yep, humility is leading me to some darn crazy living!
How about you? What kind of feedback have you been ignoring? What could you do differently today?
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Here are some quotes to help provoke your own humble path:
- “The first step to becoming a more peaceful person is to have the humility to admit that, in most cases, you’re creating your own emergencies. Life will usually go on if things don’t go according to plan. It’s helpful to keep reminding yourself and repeating the sentence, “Life isn’t an emergency”. ~Richard Carlson
- “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” ~Carl Jung
- “Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won’t come in.” ~Alan Alda
- “Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc., and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons.” ~Douglas Adams,
- “The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.” ~J.M. Barrie
- “Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing.” ~Thomas Huxley
- “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” ~Epictetus
- “You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long, and the greatest charm of all power is modesty.” ~Louisa May Alcott
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I could always tell that you are a hard worker who stays busy (your Bliss Habits project is one good piece of evidence). But I’m glad you are going to rest and listen to your body. It’s an important way to stay healthy (and blissful) in the long run. All the best.
Nancy, thank you so much for your well wishes! I think of you every humility week because of your great guest post You must let me know when you want to do another, on any topic! You are always invited.
Congratulations on 250 posts in your blog! That is awesome!
Oh Kathy, the last line of this post hit home to me – ‘what feedback are you ignoring?’ I read a lot about listening to your body and your feelings in order to know your truth and never really knew what that meant – until today! Today I wanted to sign up for a course and buy some downloadable craft material and so I went on line, credit card in hand and as I looked for the relevant websites, I suddenly realised that I was suffering from some anxiety. Now, this happens to me quite frequently when I pull out my credit card because I feel that I shouldn’t be spending money on credit and I worry that hubby will find out and get angry – and I go ahead and spend anyway. But today I realised that this feeling of anxiety was my body’s way of indicating that I was not being authentic – buying stuff and signing up for something that I don’t really need and can’t afford. So I put my credit card down and didn’t make my purchases and suddenly the anxiety disappeared. Now I know what it means to listen to my body – and how to pay attention to feedback!
That is so awesome!! Good for you! What a triumph. I love that you listened to what your body was telling you!! We are wise when we listen!!