Salutations, Gentle Reader,
At this instant, I have a bit of psychological acrobatics going on: I’m simultaneously ruminating the humbling thoughts that, for me, are entwined with Ash Wednesday while listening to the jazzy soundtrack of the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line. The former grounds me and keeps mindful of my interdependence with my fellow travellers on this terrestrial sphere and The Sacred, while the latter invigorates my spirit and gives me the knowledge that I can–and do soar towards the celestial realm each day that I give myself permission to do so. This Yin and Yang, this bittersweet, this indenture of contrasts offers a portion of that balance which I very strongly believe to be the genesis of fulfillment.
I will likely go to my church, St. Luke’s Lutheran, Times Square ( ELCA, or the “laid back Lutherans” as I like to say ) at noon and listen to Pastor Schmiege tell me “…and to dust you shall return,” as he peers into my eyes and smudges a sign of the cross on my forehead. And I’ll ponder that centuries spoken phrase and the uncertain certainty nature of physical life. I live! I dream! I declare! I create! I sing! I dance! I act! I love! I feel! I AM!!
And one day I will die.
“Remember that you are but dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Today’s Word: HUMILITY
HUMILITY: the awareness of one’s limitations, often to the degree that they diminish one’s strengths; the absence or reduced presence of pride
REAL ESTATE CONNECTION: Did you hear the one about the humble real estate agent? Neither did I! I recently spoke up when I overheard a director tell some novices, “When you’re on the phone, talk loud!” Grammatical error aside, I challenged, “No! Don’t do that. Loud is off-putting.” He and I agreed when he changed his advice to be confident. He equates volume with confidence. I don’t. Confidence is the spawn of knowledge, and it doesn’t need to be chained to arrogance, pushiness, or an overall obnoxious manner. Unfortunately, I think many in sales don’t apply this concept in their interactions. Here’s where I contend that humility would serve well, in real estate and other service professions that involve selling. A risk still exists: embracing humility to the point that it either completely incapacitates or actually morphs into its own sense of hubris. I’ve known people who, in their own way of coping with diminished knowledge or income and rejecting it as a cause for shame (I should note, I do not believe they should feel shame for these things, with a few exceptions), take their condition on as a badge of pride or vanity. I recall hearing a member of an evangelical / fundamentalist Protestant congregation say, “We don’t need any fancy taught preachers. The seminary is the cemetery.” *sigh*
CHALLENGE: Seek balance.
Remain calm, and speak well.
Be kind to yourself. Be kind to the planet and the future. Cause no suffering. Go Vegan!
David!
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