humility

Earlier today, I was studying some GRE vocabulary words.  Here's one I need to remember more: Humility.  Let's use it in a sentence...George thought vary highly of himself, but was considered by others to lack humility.

Dictionary.com's definition strikes me..."modest opinion or estimate about one's own importance, rank, etc."  

Oh, I love how lacking humility, at least in my case, often ends up with me getting slapped in face with some moment of reality when I learn how I'm no better than the next person.  That happened today.  I sent an email and used some wrong terminology.  And, in turn, I received a well-intentioned, but painful, email that put me back in my place.  The specifics are not important.  It's the lesson that matters.

Too often, I overestimate my importance, and, many times, at the cost of another.  To make myself more important, I demean someone around me.  Sometimes I use humor to make it seem okay, but it's not.  And, eventually, I end up with that knot in my stomach that reminds me that, not only do I now want to vomit, but we're on the same field.  Oh, this sucks.