Humbleness In The Face Of God

As a society of achievers, we've certainly have amassed a large amount of swag to show for our accomplishments. Certificates, degrees, plaques, awards, medals, trophies, new cars, t-shirts, light sabers. These 'life marker' trinkets serve as a visual reminder of your good deeds, but they also can act as ego inflaters, which then prevents us from doing work in the here and now because we're too busy running our mouths about the great things we've done in the past.

"A sound head, an honest heart, and a humble spirit are the three best guides through time and to eternity."
- Sir Walter Scott

As a western society, we've definitely lost the art of being humble, that is, if we ever really had it to begin with. The 'look how great I am' mentality permeates every aspect of our culture. If sports figures, politicians, and celebrities aren't talking about themselves, then they're hardly talking at all. Strutting one's peacock feathers has become an acceptable (and unfortunately necessary) way of moving ahead in this world. Doing the actual work, good work, never really gets mentioned. It's just sort of assumed, because all we get to see is the end result. The glitz. Never the process.

If you want to know who's got the most toys at a party, it's usually the person with the loudest mouth. Of course, the moment you start believing your own press is usually the same moment where everyone else now believes you're full of shit, and then you're left wondering why the same thing that worked before no longer works now. I can almost see actress Nia Vardalos sitting at home endlessly pouring over the box office receipts of her two most recent cinematic failures and wondering why they weren't big hits like her previous "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

Life is not about the end result. That, as you already know, is death. We turn to dust, and as well made as some of these prefabricated life markers are, they too will one day become dust. Life is about living in the now, and doing the work on a moment to moment basis. A person who stands around chatting about their laundry list of accomplishments is someone who lives in the past. A person living in the present, actively living in the present, has no time to brag about where they've been. They're too focused on where they are.

The real joy of living comes from actually doing the work, whatever that work may be. Writers write. Builders build. Bob the Builder, for example, doesn't waste and entire episode marveling over his past animated constructions. He's too damn busy with his current project. That little guy gets more done in ten minutes than most of us do all day. Talk about work ethic!

"Are we gonna do it, or are we gonna talk about it?"
- "Streets of Fire"

There's something to be said for a 'pat on the back' over a job well done, but it shouldn't be the driving force behind doing the job in the first place. I've always loved the irony of celebrities who proudly display their awards (Oscars, Emmys, etc.) in the bathrooms of their homes.

Humbleness is the true key to success. To remain humble in the face of God is to remain humble within the self. We are 'God'. We look in the mirror and it is us looking back. We control all that we do. Live in the moments of now and not in those of the past. There's no one back there but you. Your best work is the one you have yet to create, right here, in the present. Be less concerned about the ego and more concerned about the passion that drives you.

Yes, that Oscar you won for your last blockbuster film is very nice, now use it to prop open a window and get some fresh air into your lungs.

You have work to do.