Acknowledging that achievement results from the investment of others in my life.
The natural human tendency is to escape blame and to accept credit. Humility reverses this characteristic. Humility is accepting reproof and learning from it. It is passing praise to others and reminding my ego that I cannot succeed without them.
The telling test of humility is how a person responds when commended by others. Pride revels in commendation; humility, however, deflects praise to others who also deserve credit. A young woman who demonstrated this spirit was Helen Keller. When she was 19 months old, she developed a high fever that left her unable to see or hear. Her father, Captain Arthur Keller, feared that Helen had been brain damaged by the illness. In 1887 Captain Keller took his 6-year-old daughter to visit Alexander Graham Bell, who was known for his inventions and his devotion to the deaf.
Mr. Bell lifted Helen to his knee and gave her his pocket watch to play with. Bell watched as Helen handled the watch. Feeling it ticking, the little girl pressed it against her chest. Bell concluded that Helen had not suffered brain damage as her father feared, but that she could be helped to function normally in society. Bell then put the Kellers in touch with the Perkins Institute in Boston, where they met Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan helped Helen Keller learn to communicate and gain an education, despite her physical challenges.
Helen Kellers amazing achievements brought her worldwide acclaim. She worked hard to overcome her disabilities. Nevertheless, she never forgot how much she owed to others, including Alexander Graham Bell. His simple interview with her father was, in Helens words, the door through which I passed from darkness into light, from isolation into friendship, companionship, knowledge, and love. Helen Keller dedicated her autobiography to Alexander Graham Bell, who has taught the deaf to speak.
Humility is recognizing how much we owe to others. When the crowd looks to us, humility is gratefully giving credit where credit is due, deflecting the praise to others.
At home, give each family member a few thank-you notes and explain that the purpose of these cards is to write thank-you notes whenever they are praised to those whose past investments contributed to their present achievements. For example, if your child is praised for playing the piano well, that child could write a thank-you note to his piano teacher.
Brought to you by the Four Corners Character Council. Character First! definitions used by permission. Copyright Character First Training Institute www.characterfirst.com.
