Ever Been Humbled By An Experience?

I was humbled last week while I attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City. It was one of those experiences where you come to a realization of how big the world is and how little you know.

I might have taken that to be a bad thing and choose to feel small in what I do. To the contrary, it empowered me. I came away feeling that I could present there and help a lot of people. But, I also realized that I have a lot to learn, and others know those things.

What Experiences Do You Have To Learn From?

I recall the time I made my second wooden bucket. It had been years since I had made my first, and I honestly thought I knew what I was doing because I had worked on staves for several years. However, the process of putting it together humbled me as I realized that I forgot a lot of the techniques to make it fit properly.

In much the same way, learning about land records or military file requests was intriguing. There was so much I did not know. In the end, the processes were explained and I learned the steps that will help me get the results I want.

I am not so naive as to think that it will all go swimmingly. There will be things that I won’t remember. There will be detours that I have not expected. It is fine. This is a process of learning, making mistakes and learning from them.

What Are you Doing To Stretch?

It is so easy to stay in our comfortable zones of stagnation. When you try to stretch a little, it feels odd, and we start avoiding the feeling despite our desired outcome.

If you aren’t doing something that you consider a little uncomfortable, I challenge you to take one on. Even if you are feeling like you can do nothing else, there is something uncomfortable you can try. Perhaps it would just be to decline something that you feel like you “have” to do. Those uncomfortable moments of humble learning are priceless if you will accept the lessons they have to offer.

If you have ancestors who trail blazed who opened new areas to settlement, or who left a known place for somewhere completely unknown, you may sense what it is like to live in that uncomfortable place. It is doable and may lead to quite unexpected growth.

As you live in that place of discomfort, you will realize that there are many opportunities to work on your abilities to love, be patient, or stop judging others.

Learn how to deal with stress and find happiness. As you work on yourself, you will be more inclined to help others who today may annoy you, but in the future will draw out your compassion. The path of improvement is full of opportunities to feel humbled and then learn the lessons that help you be the person you want to be.