Quote of the Day: "On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility: “Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble.”
Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, pg. 222
I have never heard a better description of humility. Finding true humility is only possible when you can fully accept yourself, flaws and all. Lack of humility often stems from us over compensating for our low perception of self. Humility is so difficult to have and maintain in this world of the complete opposite. Thank God we have the rooms of AA that allow us to be ourselves and to be able to practice humility without judgment. Bill W. once said that humility and responsibility were essential to recovery. However, he often wrote about the difficulties of his own humility. I too struggle with humility, like so many of us, but I’m committed to keep working towards it. I have to constantly remind myself that humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. I know that remaining teachable and helping others, coupled with no expectation of receiving anything in return, is my best path to humility. So, I thank the program with all my heart for guiding me towards a life of altruism and humility, which will ultimately take me to that “deep sea of calmness.” 