Humility???

Something I have wondered about for a long time regards the importance of pride.

We have been taught time and again, that humility is one of the greatest of traits for any human being to have, and I can see this being true. Humility is an amazing characteristic, and those who exhibit it are truly great human beings... however, where does this put pride?

Granted those who boast, brag and show off their abilities are not always regarded highly, (the negative images that are brought to mind by simply using the above words are a clear indication of the way these terms are socialized in our respective societies) however, these same characteristics bring a lot of good to the table as well.

No matter how much any person tries, when we succeed in accomplishing a challenging task, we feel good about ourselves. Now here is where I begin to be confused... Isn't this feeling of accomplishment, this positive expression of success... isn't it a form of pride? Wouldn't a humble person know that this success was not theirs at all?

We all feel this positive energy when we have done something noteworthy or when we give to those who need it. We all feel good about ourselves, whether we express this or not, and to be honest, if it weren't for this good feeling, I don't know how much progress our societies would have made. I believe sincerely that the positive 'rush' that accompanies success has served as a primary catalyst for human development. It is the reason many of us love a challenge, it is the reason many of us enjoy solving puzzles, thinking about difficult problems and finding solutions.

So, really, in the final analysis - is pride so bad?

My thoughts on this are mixed. I believe it is necessary to have and exhibit some level or type of pride, being human. Having said this, I also believe that the goal of life is to transcend beyond the limitations of being human. I believe that we are truly noble, with far more nobility than is evinced by our base interactions on this Earth. The goal of giving of yourself, is so that eventually, the act of giving, is no longer a conscious action. It becomes an inherent part of your existence.

So, what I'm trying to say is that good feeling we get when we give, when we work to solve problems, when we help others... That feeling is a part of what prevents us from realizing our true destinies - to be greater than we are, to be creatures of and from God. The holy Qur'an tells us, "From Allah we have come and to Him we will return." Let us try to return to Him with nobility and grandeur - both of which, ironically can only be found through humility.

Time

One of the few things we really can't receive, only give, is time. It's interesting in that way... On a daily basis we are given only so much time. Some of us have very little time on any given day, as every day people die.

So, would I say that the importance of time is tied to our ultimate mortality, and with a deep underlying fear / fascination with the concept of death? No, I feel that the importance of time is separate from the importance of death and life.

I see time as a gift given to us by God. Now we can do whatever we want to with this gift, it's like being given money by a loved one. Both money and time are limited - in that there is a finite amount of it that anyone can have at any given point in time. Additionally, there is only so much you can do with your time - you are limited by your mortal constraints (this would be similar to the age old adage, money can't buy everything). Your time is also extremely easy to waste, and does get wasted, just like money. The major difference here though, is that only God can give time. It is a precious commodity, it isn't something that can or should be spent without careful thought. Before making any major purchase, most people would think on whether it is important to buy, whether they are getting a good price, and whether or not the value is there for whatever they are buying. I don't feel enough of us do this with our time. How many hours do I waste on trivial things that do not matter? How many hours do I lose, that I could truly be doing something else with.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that having fun is a waste of a precious resource, far from it - I feel that we need to set aside time for fun, games, laughter, work, prayer... all of these things need our energies and our time. However, I do feel that when I look on a typical day, I don't seem to care what I do with my time... this is truly sad...

In our Isma'ili Ginanic tradition, there exist several examples where our Pirs (The Isma'ili equivalent of a Saint) say that (and I paraphrase) there will come a day, when your days will be like water running through your hands.

When I look back on my life, another interesting observation I have made. Time seems to have sped up for me. This is probably an illusion caused by many possible factors, but when I look back on my childhood, I remember days dragging on, and I remember wishing so often that they would end. I haven't made a wish like that in a while... even the toughest days at work, don't seem as long as those endless days of my younger years.

I don't know if this is true or not but... it is something that has made me think, and that's always a good thing. Maybe I don't want to waste my time, maybe I don't want my days to pass like water through my hands, maybe... just maybe... I am actually scared of what happens next?