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A Humble Spirit
Rating:
Quality: (Quality: Unrated)
In his own eyes, Mike was the most popular guy around. "A lot
of women are gonna be totally miserable when I marry."
"Really?" said his date. "And just how many women are you
intending to marry?"
What passes for conceit in many people is often just a plea for
attention. A poor sense of self may cause one to want to be the
prominent star in every constellation. Humility, on the other
hand, does not require that one shine less brightly than others,
simply that all be given opportunity to shine.
That great African-American educator Booker T. Washington
exemplified the beauty of a humble spirit. One day as
Professor Washington was walking to work at Tuskegee Institute
in Alabama, he happened to pass the mansion of a wealthy woman.
The woman, who did not recognize him, called out, "Hey you!
Come here! I need some wood chopped!" She was a product of
her culture and simply perceived him as a black man who was
there to do her bidding.
Without a word, Dr. Washington peeled off his jacket, picked
up the ax, and went to work. He not only cut a large pile of
wood, he also carried the firewood into the house and arranged
it neatly.
He had scarcely left when a servant said to the woman, "I guess
you didn't recognize him, ma'am, but that was Professor Washington!"
Embarrassed and ashamed, the woman hurried over to Tuskegee
Institute to apologize. The great educator humbly replied:
"There's no need to apologize, madam. I'm delighted to do
favors for my friends!" The professor taught a marvelous
lesson that day. He felt no need to convince her that he, too,
was a bright star in the constellation.
Author Ken Blanchard puts it this way: "Humility does not
mean you think less of yourself. It means you think of
yourself less."
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