Are You All That?

by John Galt

Are you really all that?  When did we stop being humble?  When did we stop looking at ourselves through the eyes of another?  Just imagine how different you would act if you could see yourself as others see you. 

Do you really drive as well as you think you do?  I bet you don’t.  Put the cell phone down and stop texting when you drive and look around at the drivers near you.  I used to love driving, but now, it is down-right scary.  Someone is either following too close, running red lights or stop signs, swerving into my lane, pulling out in front of me, or making erratic movements.  When I get a look at the driver, they are usually preoccupied with something other than driving and act as if no one can see them inside their car.  If I called them out on their driving errors, would they be humble?  Unlikely.  I bet there would be an ugly altercation and they would be defensive of their actions and unlikely to take my observations to heart and drive more courteously.   

And don’t get me started on my snap-judgment of you when you flick your cigarette butt out the window or dump your ashtray in the street at a stop light.  It’s trash.  It’s littering.  It is a sign of self-centered disregard for people and the environment.  Would you want that trash on your yard?

One simple act of courtesy is sadly lacking in today’s drivers and that is the wave.  You know, when you let someone into traffic they are supposed to give you the wave that acknowledges that you courteously gave them an opening in traffic when you didn’t have to?  More often than not, people fail to give a wave of appreciation and don’t acknowledge a courteous act.  Gives me hope that there are still good people out there when I get the wave.

Are we humble when we enter a room or do we take a seat at the head of the table?  When I was a kid, only the head of the household would sit at the head of the table.  It was a place of honor and respect.  When I was invited by a friend to meet his family for dinner at a restaurant, I made a conscious decision on where to sit.  I knew that his dad should sit at the head of the table and it would be presumptuous to sit there.  So, I sat last, in the open seat.  I knew better.  I knew my place and how I would be perceived.  It was a courteous act.  I was humble.  I had a fantastic time at dinner.  By the way, humble is often a good first impression.

When you talk on a cell phone in a public place, how do you appear to those around you?  Confident and tech savvy?  Not likely.  People probably think you are loud, rude and have no class.  We don’t want to hear the juicy bits of your love life or what you think of everyone.  It doesn’t make you popular, it makes you annoying and self-centered.

When you don’t practice good hygiene, wear clothes that don’t fit or your undergarments are exposed, people make unfavorable judgments.  The same is true when you speak in slang or profanity, demonstrate poor manners, or act pushy or self-centered.  You cannot blame others for how they perceive you, right or wrong, it is something that you must own.  Is your appearance the real you or do you hide behind a facade to get attention?  Think about the message you are sending.

Be the person you want others to see in you; the one that can stand the test of time.  Don’t try to be the center of the universe all the time.  Fame and notoriety are fleeting, and seldom have positive outcomes.  Good, honest, and humble gets noticed for all the right reasons and that attention lasts more than the theoretical “15 minutes of fame.”  Look at yourself through the eyes of someone you care about and see yourself as they see you.  Make changes to be the person you really want to be.

 

Care about other people.  Thank someone when they do something nice for you.  Keep your private life private.  Be courteous of the people around you.  Be a supporting character in the life of someone you care about, not the center of attention.  Life isn’t a sprint, it is a journey.  Sometimes, maybe, just maybe, nice guys and gals finish first.  See you in traffic; I’ll be the one giving you the five-fingered wave.