I made a new friend with a waiter recently, and I received a gift far more valuable than the 20% tip I left him during lunch. Working in a restaurant as a server was not his first career choice; regardless, every morning he woke up with an attitude of whose lives he could touch by being present and open to giving the best service that he could to everyone who crossed his path. He continually “emptied his proverbial cup” and sought ways to humble himself.
We’ve become so clouded by our little worlds, making ourselves prisoners in these self-created cages, and we miss what’s going on around us, never living in the magic of the moment. How many times have we heard, “I’ll be happy when I: get that new job, body, education, lover, money, or epiphany.” We overlook the meat of life as we focus only on the fat, and this superficial existence is numbing. The maybe-not-so-accidental encounter with the waiter inspired deep examination of my own personal humility meter. Lately there have been countless life lessons exposing my resistance.
“If you want to kiss the sky better learn how to kneel.” – U2
These lyrics from a U2 song ran through my head today. Real humility starts with looking in the mirror and honestly dissecting ourselves, not stopping until we discover our own truth. Serious self-examination can be an excruciating process, often determined by how much we resist the experience. I’ve felt like a Phoenix rising from the ashes many times, and life has presented me new opportunities, many painful, to prostrate myself again and dig deeper. Like the U2 song, the sky is calling me to fly and I could not heed its beckon until I surrendered to taste, smell and feel what it’s like to see the heavens from lying on the ground.
One of the greatest tests for our humility comes from getting “emotionally nude” with the people in our lives. What happens when we strip down our layers of clothes, a.k.a. “guard”, and vulnerably stand there letting someone see us in our nakedness? When we openly bare our jugular, we can be easily judged and criticized, which can result in ridicule or rejection. We can lose friends, jobs, money, love, even respect and credibility through the eyes of others. Absolute vulnerability is a big risk to take in life, and one must desire truth more than they do the perceived safety in projected appearance.
What I’ve learned lately by having the courage to strip down to my emotionally nude self in the presence of others, is an amazing sense of freedom that arises from this action. I’d much rather live from my own truth and come clean with it, regardless of the outcome, then take another blind step in life, weighted down by a self-imposed coat of armor.
The freedom to exist with an unguarded and open heart is an exhilarating way to live. Whether there is everything or nothing to lose, and you come from your truth, a sense of peaceful imperturbability takes hold, much like a feeling of being bulletproof. An there is no other path to this peace than to go through the fire.
Pain has carved me into an eternal hopeful, and I will not stay small no matter how many times life kicks me while I’m down. For with each blow we take from the tough lessons in life, we learn, become stronger and evolve. And one day we realize the pain has been a blessing in disguise and there is so much joy to be experienced with living from truth, living with our hearts wide open, living alive. Hiding behind “armor” doesn’t actually offer protection; for when we truly love ourselves and let go, nothing can ultimately hurt us.
1 Comment so far
Leave a comment
Amazing Post Amie.. Love how you gave a real-life example of the power of our thoughts. I have also found that when I immerse myself in the thoughts, the experience of it all.. it also happens much faster. There is POWER in knowing we are co-creators.. and having impact on the world around us. Thank YOU so much for showing up the way YOU do… Big Hugs.
Comment by Stephanie Marie Beeby September 27, 2011 @ 4:07 am