Humility is not something we all strive for. We want to be wonderful!
Do you remember watching Wonder Woman as a small child and wanting to have a cool headband and indestructibly cute bracelets? It took a long time for us to grow into the woman we’ve become, but we are wonderfully, intricately woven together with talents and a personality that make us unique. Some days we feel empowered and ready to take on the world, but other seasons are filled with doubt and repeated uppercuts of self-loathing. This culture screams at us from every angle that we have to be everything to everyone. We have to be Wonder Women.
In the midst of writing a novel, teaching teenagers their native language, washing three loads of laundry, grocery shopping, carline bumper cars, and being clever on social media we have to be able to pull off a shiny leotard and boots. We’re expected to smile and save the day with perfect hair. When it all goes wrong we have to get it off our chest and set the record straight. No wonder we get on social media and spill our guts, while tearing someone else apart. When it all goes right we have to be the first one to let the world know, and put ourself on a pedestal that we’ll always have to measure ourself by in the future. It’s always someone else’s fault when it doesn’t end up how we intended, and it’s always what we deserved when it goes perfectly.
What if we were to strive to be Humble Women instead of Wonder Women?
Let’s be honest, the outfit wouldn’t be as awesome, but maybe that flashy exterior is a part of the problem. Being humble is hard. Zipping the lip, praising others without expectations, and getting back up gracefully after a failure can be a battle we fight against our natural tendencies. Being humble can also lead to life being a little easier. The word ‘humble’ gets a bad rep. People think of a humble person being weak or insignificant, but I’d like to challenge that stereotype and propose that humble people are stronger. Strength in character will take us farther than stubbornness.
A humble attitude does put others’ feelings before our own, but how bad could that be if we all participated. I should clarify, this isn’t about stepping aside or letting others trample over you. This is all about us being confident in who we are, as well as what we want to do. We might just appear more reasonable. Because, let’s be honest, sometimes we aren’t reasonable and it takes more than our self to pull off humility. If there’s anyone we should be striving to be better than, it’s our old self. The minute we start the comparison game, we lose sight of our journey and begin trudging along someone else’s path.
Humility looks good on someone who knows who they are and what they want to accomplish. A humble person is still a dreamer, but their goals are their own and not an attempt to reach the level of their competitors. Competition leads to someone losing, and while we wish and work hard to succeed I hope we don’t wish for someone else to suffer defeat.
Confidence doesn’t equal bullying. Confident + Humble = A reliable, responsible person that others can trust. Not a fuddy-duddy, not a mean girl, not a flake, not spineless, not a gossip. Being humble and confident doesn’t take super powers, but it does continue to stretch us to be better than we were.
Wonder Woman can stop a bullet with her cuff bracelet, catch a bad guy with her whip, and breathe in outer space with her envy-worthy earrings. While being Wonder Woman seems admirable, I’d never self-inflict that kind of pressure. So, I’ll aim to be Humble Woman.
