In his book Meeting Force With Silence, author and Jungian psychotherapist Dr. Terry Chitwood writes, “If you are fortunate, you have already been gifted with humility. Treasure this gift.” It is so easy to take things for granted, including positive qualities such as humility. To live honestly we need to recognize that our creativity, intellectual ability, talents, accomplishments, health, and the many other attributes that make each of us a unique person, a unique creation, are gifts from the Creator. And for those of us who put effort into improving ourselves, such as by having the discipline to do what is needed to develop a talent we’ve been given or to do physical exercise regularly to maintain and improve our health, we need to recognize that that discipline is also a gift from the Creator.
Dr. Chitwood also writes “Humility is a necessity, not a virtue.” If our egos are lacking humility, they do not recognize a power greater than themselves. This is unnatural, and at some point the universe will try to correct such inflated egos by requiring them to go through painful experiences. Having humility is necessary in order for us to recognize and honor the source of our being. And by being humble we are better able to be thankful for all that we have been given.