Sometimes you are fortunate to get some insightful pictures that convey a lot more than just the visual appeal. Today’s picture very succinctly captures the essence of many of our problems viz. our ego becomes our burden.
Our ego is planted in the mind and the individual nurtures it with gusto believing that she/he needs to have a place in the sun because she/he is special, gifted, unique and extraordinary. It is true that every individual is blessed with qualities that make the individual special in comparison to another. However, that does not necessarily mean that the individual is extraordinary and starkly stands out as a result. When the mind is too full of our own self, that is when ego starts puffing up like a balloon and at the slightest prick or extra inflation it can burst. Till that happens, every egoistic individual has to carry the burden of his ego, nurtured in the mind, as a burden.
The antidote to ego is humility. This is a quality that can be nurtured with the right upbringing, a pragmatic approach and most importantly the knowledge that ‘this too shall pass’. Success, however great, is always transitional. In a similar way, failure is never permanent. If this concept is firmly ingrained in the mind, each individual will relish her/ his success without the success or achievement morphing into ego. Without the ego, an individual will never resent another, she/he will learn to enjoy the moments in the sun as well as in the shadow and will be less stressed, have more fun and live life with gusto.
Humility brings to the fore three definite benefits
You are able to take on criticism – Any negative feedback or criticism is largely resented except when a person is humble enough to acknowledge that s/he can change and become better by paying attention to one’s faults. Most times, the criticism is actually shared so as to make the individual aware of not so apparent faults, which if corrected can furrow the path to greater success.
You will not fear mistakes – Everyone makes mistakes. However, only a person who is humble does not fear mistakes. S/he is aware that not trying is more detrimental to progress than making mistakes. Mistakes can be rectified; not trying does not enable any form of progress. Mistakes also make us aware of our limitations, our erroneous approach and helps challenge our limits. Improvement and success are the goals that mistakes hope to inculcate once you are made aware of them.
You will learn to appreciate those better than you.- A humble person is the one who can recognize and applaud someone better than her/him. It also enables one to notice the progress one needs to make so as to reach the same zenith and improve upon it. Without being humble, chances are that we focus only on finding fault with others, instead of learning from them. Progress, demands improvement and improvement requires us to benchmark with those better than us. Only someone humble enough to acknowledge that reality will benefit from that realization.
Try these:
- Click on the following link and read the blog post http://poweract.blogspot.com/2010/03/ego.html
- Which was the best criticism you received and how did it help you grow?
- Which was the one mistake that you failed to recognize for a long time because your ego would not permit it? How did you finally overcome it and what was the outcome of you correcting that mistake?
- Identify three persons as under
- Classmates who you appreciate for their success
- Competing professionals who you respect for their competence
- Idols from any field who are role models for you
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog
