If You Only Knew…
It may sound a bit obvious, but I want to pose a question: How would that statement end if you were speaking to:
…your children?
…your grandchildren?
…your successor?
…your apprentice?
…your co-workers?
My bet is that those words come fairly quickly and easily for many, if not all, of those as you considered on the list.
If You Only Knew…The interesting thing is that as we age the ending to this statement becomes longer. As our wisdom grows so does our passionate desire to impart this wisdom on our loved ones. After all, most of our wisdom was gained by some hard knocks with good stories behind them. I digress.
Have you ever stopped and asked what wisdom someone else would want to convey to you… at this stage in your life? What would it be if it were coming from:
…your predecessor?
…your mentor?
…your coach?
…your advisors?
…your parents or grandparents?
Would it be hard to accept whatever advice they gave? The good stuff, the stuff made of truth, usually is.
I read a piece recently that described four types of humility—natural humility, humbled humility, contrived humility, and intentional humility. In this candid article, Jeffrey DeWolf stated you are either naturally humble or you aren’t. DeWolf has gained his own wisdom by working with leaders and organizations across the country.
The truth is that very few people are born with natural humility and a leopard can’t change its spots. There are those who force a “faked” humility in their lives (contrived). Then, there are the majority if not all of us who develop humility by being humbled. Very few, however, see themselves as the leopard who can change their spots, by locating to a new spot. In Jeffrey’s words,
Intentional humility requires that we acknowledge our tendency to be self-centered, arrogant, and impatient. It's owning who we are, and putting specific strategies in place to behave more humbly.1
Imagine working deliberately to develop a humble spirit throughout 2023. What do you think you could learn? How far could this take you…Physically? Mentally? Spiritually? Financially? In Your Relationships?
This is your challenge for 2023. Think about each of these areas (physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, relationally).
What habit can you incorporate in each area to be intentionally humble? Will you read a book, spend more time with the Father, seek guidance and support in the area(s) you need the most help, hire a coach or advisor, devote a night to simply listening rather than speaking, journey on a mission, learn from those less fortunate, take up a new hobby?
If we are sitting here one year from today, reflecting on the last twelve months, what did you do different? What were the outcomes? Can you say you lived Life on purpose?