Be Humble

A recent sermon really struck a chord with me.  The sermon, “Honor or Humility”, was based on Luke Chapter 14, verses 7-14.  In this passage, Christ tells a parable about guests at a feast, and how one should not seek out the place of honor at the table for fear that the host may ask the guest to move to make way for someone more important. Likewise, someone who sits at a less important spot at the table may be asked to move to a more prestigious place.  The parable is a lesson in humility and Christ ends the parable by warning us, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

It seems that humility is in short supply these days.  How often do we see people, in order to achieve or maintain that “15 minutes of fame”, do something that is embarrassing or debasing?  There are plenty of stories of athletes who cheated to get ahead.  And if you look around, you will see lots of people with a “me-first” attitude, those who are driving aggressively or having loud cell phone conversations in restaurants.  As matter of fact, in today’s society you’ll have a hard time finding people who aren’t preoccupied with themselves or seeking attention.

What is humility and why should we be humble? Having humility doesn’t mean you have to feel bad about yourself or you must have a low self-opinion.  And it is not about feeling inferior; humility should not be confused with humiliation.  Humility is a true self-understanding; being able to make a realistic self-assessment without illusion or pretense.  If we are humble, then we can focus on honesty and realism.  And humility allows us to serve others, for their sake, instead of our own.

Participation awards and responding to demands for instant gratification certainly don’t breed humility.  In this society, where so many clamor for attention, achieving humility will be difficult.  I believe that much of the “good” people do in this world is not to help others, but is done so that people can feel good about themselves. How many write a check instead of donating their time?  We hear about helping the poor and underprivileged, and people advocating and voting for government programs to help those less fortunate.  Sure, you can feel good about yourself because you are helping.  But what about volunteering your time to help those people?   What if you actually gave of yourself?  I know,” it’s inconvenient” or “it’s difficult” or whatever excuse you can find why you can’t do it.  To be humble, give of yourself without expecting anything in return; something as simple as giving your undivided attention to a conversation with others and resisting the urge to lead the conversation.

Being humble does not mean we cannot be ambitious or self-confident.  But if our ambition is only to amass material things or to be the center of attention, what is our purpose once we achieve our goal?  Ask any movie star or company president if it is difficult to stay on top.  It can consume your life and in the end, fame is fleeting.  Perhaps, our ambitions should be more humble and less self-serving.   Who knows, maybe taking the path of humility will lead to less anxiety, fear, and depression?  There is joy to be had when serving others, to be unassuming or to grow the conversation without leading it.  You are likely to be welcomed at more tables if others don’t assume you will place yourself at the head of the table.

 

So reduce your stress and the stress of those around you.  Don’t try to be the loudest or most noticed person in the room.  Give your time to someone without expecting anything in return.  Be your true self without pretense.  Live in the moment without posturing for what may come next.  To reduce your stress and better the world, try a little humility.

Enough is Enough!

by John Galt

Enough is enough.  Livelihoods, if not lives, are at stake.  I’ve endured sequestration, budget cuts, tax increases, you name it.  I don’t go out to eat.  I don’t go to the movies.  I buy what I need, but not always what I want.  I've prioritized my spending and eliminated waste.  I waved off physical therapy for my feet because I can still walk and a little pain won’t slow me down.  Therapy just wasn't in the budget.

I've done exactly what I expect my government to do.  I expect them to live within a budget, prioritize purchases, and weigh the pros and cons even down to medical care decisions.  But, have they?  As we stare wide eyed at the oncoming sequestration Round Two, what did we learn?  Well, speaking from the point of view of the tax payer, I had some waste in my budget.  Anything labeled entertainment or fun was labeled waste and cut from my budget.  But I work really hard from my money, so shouldn't there be some allotment to enjoy?  Maybe dinner out and a movie?  When do I get that luxury back?  When will the government let me keep enough to enjoy the fruits of my labor?

Luckily, I've never had credit card debt…  Wait.  Isn't that buying stuff when you don’t have the money to pay for it?  I never did that.  I waited until I could afford it or decided I didn’t need it.  Fiscal restraint and living within my means were what my parents taught me.  Why does the government live under different rules?  Why do they continue to spend, all the while calling each other names and spending more time spinning the blame than solving the problem?

Well, enough is enough.  To my government I say, find a leader with a viable plan and get on the wagon.  Simply make a budget, cut the waste, and spend less than you have.  Stop talking about raising taxes.  I’m already paying enough and I am not seeing it well spent.  You don’t throw good after bad, my dad would say.  If the government were my neighbor and I saw them pulling into their driveway in a new Lexus, but their kids were hungry, their house was in disrepair, and their yard was overgrown, I’d call them out and challenge their priorities.  If they were my family and this happened, we’d have words and if they didn't listen, I’d drop a dime and call mom.  She didn't raise her kids to be reckless with their future.

So, stop playing make-believe with our future, we cannot afford it.  Challenge the government to answer what do they need and what can we afford.  Get our budget under control.  Stop throwing around blame.  Fix the problem.  At this point, I don’t care who started it.  I just want to go out to dinner while one of the restaurants in town is still open for business.

Deja Vu

As Yogi Berra would say, “its déjà vu all over again.”  With just a few days left in the fiscal year, Congress must pass, yet again, a continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating or face a shutdown of non-essential federal government functions.  It’s a familiar situation. Since 2009, when the Senate last passed a budget, there have been ten continuing resolutions.  Although it appeared a shutdown was eminent in some cases, Congress reached budget agreements and avoided disruption of the government.  But things are different this time.

The US House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution bill last week that provides funding for the federal government for six months.  But, this bill prohibits funding of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) and some provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.  This is the 42^nd time Congress has tried to repeal or undermine Obamacare legislation.  The next step for the continuing resolution bill is the Senate.  As you might imagine, the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Obama are against it.  Obama said he would veto the bill if it’s presented to him.

Now the fight over the legislation moves to the Senate.  Will the Senate strip out the defunding language and send the bill back to the House or will Senate Republicans stand on principle and force a shutdown? Senate Republicans could force a vote on the bill, putting Senate Democrats facing reelection next year in a precarious situation, voting to fund the very thing that many voters back home don’t want.  Or the Republicans could prevent a vote on the bill and force a shutdown in hopes that Democrats will eventually concede.  The problem is, regardless of outcome, Obamacare will still go forward on October 1, because it relies primarily on mandatory spending, similar to Medicare and Social Security, which are unaffected by a government shutdown. 

And a shutdown could have serious repercussions on the economy because most federal employees will not be paid and companies that do with business with the government will be affected.  This will affect over 1 million federal employees and millions in federal contracts.  The uncertainty of a shutdown will have a negative impact on country’s economic growth according to the Congressional Budget Office.  And the effects don’t end with the federal employees or federal contractors, they have less to spend and less to invest.

At the moment, it appears that a majority of people want Obamacare repealed, but a majority also doesn’t want a shutdown.  With the government nearing the debt ceiling (again) in just a few weeks, it’s time for Congress to stop playing politics and do the job we elected them to do.  Contact your Senators (www.senate.gov) and let them know what you want them to do concerning the budget.  And call Senator Harry Reid (202-224-3542) and let him know it’s time the Senate did its job.

The Greatest Country?

A young lady asked me recently if I thought America was still the greatest country in the world.  I didn’t directly answer her because I was afraid that if I answered honestly from my head instead of my heart, I wouldn’t like the answer.  Around the same time, a friend told me about an HBO show called “Newsroom” and suggested I watch the opening scene of the first episode.  I finally watched it on Youtube and I found my answer.

In the episode, Jeff Daniels is a newscaster that is part of a debate at a university.  The panel is asked by a college student what makes America great.  After dodging the question with some cliché answers, Jeff Daniels’ character unleashes a tirade at the college student.

In his tirade, he says in part, “there’s absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world.  We’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force and number 4 in exports.  We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, 25 of whom are allies. “  He then goes on to talk about how this country used to be great.

He said, “It sure used to be.  We stood up for what was right.  We fought for moral reason.  We passed laws, struck down laws, for moral reason.  We waged wars on poverty, not on poor people.  We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chest.  We built great, big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases and we cultivated the world’s greatest artists AND the world’s greatest economy.  We reached for the stars, acted like men.  We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it.  It didn't make us feel inferior.  We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn't scare so easy.  We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed…by great men, men who were revered.”

He’s correct. We used to fight for moral reasons.  We used to care for our neighbors.  We aspired to greater things.  We didn't belittle intelligence or success.  We didn't settle for “good enough.”  We used to take chances because we thought the rewards were worth the risks.  We didn't sue the pants off everyone in hopes of making someone else pay for our misfortune or mistakes.

This country has never been perfect, but it had the promise of a brighter future. There was the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  No guarantees of success, but a promise of opportunity for those willing to work.  Honestly, the future doesn't seem all that bright at the moment.  And to admit that seems, to me, a betrayal of all my parents and grandparents worked for.  So how the hell do we make this country great again?

First of all, we have to stop being so self-centered. We have to realize that our cell phone conversations in a crowded restaurant or texting in traffic is nothing but self-centered behavior.  Courtesy and kindness should be the hallmarks of our interactions with others.  Self-reliance, personal responsibility, and self-discipline should be the very essence of our makeup, not quaint notions of by-gone days.  Our moral compass should include things like trustworthiness and cleanliness (mind and body).   But far too often, the moral compass of most people is driven by instant gratification.

Is America the greatest country in the world?  My heart says yes, but my head says otherwise.  We don’t celebrate intelligence anymore, we celebrate mediocrity and stupidity.  We resent the success in others; instead of giving them a pat on the back, we demand our fair share.  We label as “greedy” those who work hard and want to keep the results of that hard work.  We expect the government to take care of us instead of working to provide for ourselves.  We demand tolerance from others, but only tolerate in others those viewpoints, ideas, lifestyles, and beliefs that match ours.  And we've become so afraid that we've given up many of our liberties for which others bled and died just to feel safe.  I’m talking about relinquishing our privacy and allowing our government to track and monitor our activities. 

America can be the greatest again.  We are blessed with wonderful resources and opportunities. But, it will take a hard working and well informed citizenry to get there.  Ashton Kutcher recently defined sexy as “really smart, thoughtful, and generous.”  Go be sexy and make America the greatest again.