Humility

This month's newsletter is dedicated to all of the teachers and administrators who have so tirelessly worked with excellence, service, and humility with children this school year. May you have a joyful, restorative and peaceful summer!

"Humility is being modest, humble, and unpretentious. We consider others' views and needs as important as our own. We willingly serve others and accept help when we need it… We accept the lessons life brings, knowing that mistakes are often our best teachers… We give our very best, and trust that it is enough. Humility reminds us to be thankful for our successes rather than boastful." -excerpted with permission from Virtues Reflection Cards by Linda Kavelin Popov. http://www.virtuesproject.com/uscart/browse.html

This morning I was reading the CD cover of the world-renowned cellist, Yo Yo Ma, and I was struck by his humility. Yo Yo Ma has traveled the world exploring many different forms of music and music-making. He has danced with Kalahari bushmen in Africa and played with Appalachian fiddlers, as well as being a brilliant player of Bach's Cello Suites. When asked in an interview what kind of advertising slogan he would choose for the ideal product that would describe himself, he said "A waiter's outfit."

The interviewer asked him, "Why a waiter's outfit?"

"Because I think that being a good musician is very much like being a good waiter. You're not the chef-the composer gets that outfit-but you need to be knowledgeable about what you're serving in order to do the job well. You need to be present, but you also need to be discreet. If you do your job well, you can really add to the enjoyment of the experience."

I was struck by Yo Yo Ma's humility. He is one of the most respected and beloved instrumentalists of all time, yet he feels so connected to all people and all forms of music. There's something about humility that connects us to all humanity. We are saying: I strive for excellence, I create beauty with my own gifts, but I am no more or no less than everyone else in the world.

Questions for reflection:

1. How do I balance confidence with humility?

2. How do I accept my gifts and contributions to the world without letting my ego take over?

3. How do I practice thankfulness for my successes everyday?

"When you are humble, you don't criticize others. You don't criticize or shame yourself. Your admit mistakes and learn from them. You don't need to boast. You feel thankful for your gifts."

-excerpts from the Virtues cards with permission from The Virtues Project™

It's not always easy to keep the virtues in balance. For instance, sometimes I use too much truthfulness. I blurt things out and regret them later. I may be forgetting kindness, caring, or tact. So, one of the questions I am asking myself is how can I be truthful, kind and tactful at the same time? Perhaps I need to sleep on my thoughts before I speak them. Then I get to practice self-discipline. And when I don't use self-discipline, and have spoken the words without kindness or tact, I get to practice humility. I recognize that I have made a mistake and I can learn from it. I can decide how I want to do it differently the next time. I can apologize and not shame myself. There are so many opportunities for these "Teachable Moments!"

"Recognizing Teachable Moments" is one of the five lifeskill strategies of The Virtues Project™. To learn more about The Virtues Project, go to www.virtuesproject.com.

Questions for reflection:

1. How can I stay away from criticizing, blaming, or shaming others and myself?

2. How can I learn from my mistakes and do things differently next time?

3. What helps me to admit my mistakes to myself and others?

September 27, 2002