Today, I had my monthly meeting with my sponsor to have a philosophical discussion on Step 7. We also talked about a recent resentment of mine. And spiritual growth in this process, especially concerning my confidence.
One quote from our reading that really stood out to me was:
“Humility is when your outside and inside match”
-St. Theresa of Avila
I also really liked the following 12 Steps to Humility from the Rule of St. Benedict
- Be conscious of the reality of Higher Power (awe)
- Avoid self-will
- Follow direction
- Accept life as it manifests (patience / present moment)
- Be transparent (no secrets / lies)
- Have no complaints (radical acceptance)
- Diminish the “self” (equanimity)
- Be one of many, do not stand out (be part of the herd)
- Observe silence (unless spoken to)
- Practice decorum; no unnecessary frivolity
- Speak appropriately: gentle, brief, restrained (Right Speech)
- Be modest of demeanor (measured response)
Many of these are completely contrary to our Instagram influencer culture of today, but nonetheless valuable when one is striving for humility.
One last quote from the reading that struck me was:
“In humility is perfect freedom because in humility we accept the truth”
-Thomas Merton
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