Here we have two contrasting and yet overlapping concepts.
The first is humility, a rich and fascinating notion that does not seem to be in fashion.
In fact, quite the opposite judging by the attitudes and behaviours that can be witnessed on YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and increasingly on our television screens.
Definition of humility:
freedom from pride or arrogance
In such a definition we discover better understanding in exploring what humility is not.
Nelson Mandela puts it succinctly:
“Humility is one of the most important qualities you must have. If you are humble, if you make people realise that you are no threat to them, then people will embrace you and they will listen to you.”
(While speaking to Oprah Winfrey on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2000.)
Mandela is highlighting here that humility is much more than a warm personal characteristic. In this quote he is illuminating the importance of humility in building trusting relationships.
If we now turn to the second notion in the title above, acknowledging our unique natural strengths, It is important to acknowledge how rare and unusual it is for any of us to comfortably identify and articulate the natural gifts, abilities and strengths that they were born with.
On the one hand, we understand that this is not something that is encouraged in our upbringing, our education and our everyday life experience.
Additionally, Danny McGuigan suggests that most of his clients eventually surface and admit to very strong aversion to what they would call conceit, big headedness, getting ahead of themselves, big opinion of themselves and so many other ways of describing the opposite of humility.
Danny has observed and has experienced the most extraordinary resistance to the idea that being confidently self-aware and accepting of my natural strengths can go hand-in-hand with deep humility.
More often than not his clients have initially recoiled from any encouragement to explore and talk about, with confidence and humility, their natural strengths.
Would you like to better understand what it might mean for you to become confident and knowledgeable about your natural strengths and still to remain humble?
How would you walk, how would you talk in your everyday life if you were quietly confident about your natural strengths and still able to demonstrate the sort of humility that is critically important for healthy relationships with others?
Contact Danny McGuigan:
Tel: 07850 143 209
Email: email@dannymcguigan.com
