Spirituality

7 Ways to Walk Humbly into 2020.

by Carjamin Scott on December 29, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. CST

The year 2020 marks the beginning of a new decade. All of our wins, losses, and whatever was in between have brought us to this moment in time and it is fitting that we reflect on what we learned. As for myself, I did a lot and therefore learned a lot. I learned that, as I celebrate my wins do it with grace; and, as I deal with my losses do it with gratitude. I recognized the value of humility.

The Oxford dictionary defines humility as a modest view of ones importance. The Bible says that God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8.

As I walk into 2020, I’m focused on seven attributes of humility to carry with me.

1. Humility requires gratitude.

You cannot be unhappy and grateful at the same time. I survived troublesome times by choosing gratefulness instead of sadness. When bad times happen, which they happen to all of us, it’s important to go through those moments and learn from them.

2. Humility requires patience.

Your right now is not your forever. If you are always wanting more, expecting more, looking for more then you are unable to appreciate what you have in this moment right now. When the time is right it will happen.

3. Humility encourages you to believe in yourself.

Being humble means free from pride and arrogance, not confidence. Confidence is trusting in your abilities. Humility requires that you trust yourself and what you have to offer. It motivates you to stay in your own lane and take stock in your own abilities instead of comparing yourself to others. CS Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”

4. Humility is letting your light shine.

Only light can combat darkness. When you let your light shine, you allow others to do the same. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that,” Dr. Martin Luther King. What is your light? Is it artistry, science, writing, engineering, caretaking, business ownership? Whatever it is, do it to the best of your ability.

5. Humility will require you to love.

Love one another. Put others first. Humility is not self serving. It is concerned with the welfare of everyone. It is fair and just. A humble person is not vain, argumentative, or boastful. Humility is love. It is admitting faults, remaining coachable, constant growth and forgiveness.

6. Humility is faithful.

When you are humble, you are loyal. You are faithful to your calling. You see situations differently. You understand that faithfulness requires sacrifice. You are willing to do what it takes to complete your purpose.

7. Humility is rewarding.

When you are humble, you will be rewarded. “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” Luke 14:11. There is nothing that God wants more than for us to trust him. Walk humbly with Him and you will be rewarded.

I pray that you have a blessed New Year and I thank you for taking the time to read this message. Hallelujah, God is good.

Want to see more like this? Share this post and tag me!

Request to publish or suggest a correction here.

Like this, please subscribe.

Carjamin Scott can be reached at carjamin.scott@gmail.com and you can follow her on twitter @scottcarjie, instagram @carjiescott.

Advertisements
Ideas

Inclusion is a bit more than dancing at a party.

by Carjamin Scott on October 17, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. CST

Have you heard the quote, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance?” While it seems forward thinking, it still does not reflect what is needed to be truly inclusive.

Let me be transparent for a moment with you. I am a wife, a mom, and I do a ton of community service work. And I do not even want to discuss the demands of my job. My time is limited; so, I do not allow myself to waste it in spaces and places where I cannot thrive.

Before I address the diversity dance quote, here is the criteria that I consider before deciding to attend any party.

1. Who else is going?

Listen, I need to have some people at the party that I can vibe with. I am not going to a party to schmooze the entire time. That’s not a party, that’s a networking event. Plus, I need to know who else is there so I can truly let my hair down to dance, laugh, and have a good time.

2. Where is the party?

Sorry, but I am not going to a party over 15 minutes away from my house. If it is that far away and I have to Uber home, I will not be happy. And, if I am going to a party without a designated driver, it’s likely that I’ll have to Uber. So again, sorry but that’s just too far for me.

3. What is the attire?

I might consider buying something new if the party has a particular theme but I really do not want to have to go through the trouble of that. Don’t waste my or your time inviting me to your color coded parties.

4. What time is the party?

If it starts at 8, I’ll be there about 9:30. That’s just the truth. I have to be on time all day. I have to be on time to pick up my kids, to get to work, to have dinner ready, etc. I do not want to have to be on time for a party.

5. Who is hosting the party?

This should have been the first question on the list. I am not going to your party if it’s going to be stuffy, with one bad genre of music, and corny games. I like parties with all kinds of music, where people do not have to drink to tolerate each other, with good food, and great people.

Thanks for letting me vent to you about that. Any-who, here is the story I really wanted to share:

I thrive in spaces where I feel included, valued, and I where I can offer all of my talents. I love to meet new people and create relationships.

A recruiter reached out to me the other day and asked, “What is something that isn’t on your resume that you think we should know about you?” I replied, “Do I have your permission to be clear and transparent while answering your question?” He said, “Yes, of course, based on the qualifications of this role, you clearly exceed what we are looking for so we really want to know if you are going to fit in with the culture here.”

I said, “Ok, well I was raised on the Southside of Chicago. My mother is a black woman, my father was an immigrant who migrated from Manila, Philippines. I am proud of who I am. In my personal time, I go back to the community that I am from and educate them in an effort to lift as I climb. I do not think that my story is that unique. I think that we are all proud of who we are and where we come from. I also think that we all want to lift as we climb somehow.

I am not sharing this with you for pity and I won’t need anything extra from your company to be successful. I have nearly two decades of experience and a terminal degree. I just want to make sure that I can bring my whole-self to your organization without having to forget where I came from to advance and feel included. I will get the job done. I will likely exceed your expectations.

My track record speaks for itself, my awards have proven my abilities, and my recommendations are credible. However, if your culture will require me to dim who I am or no longer allow me to lift as I climb then I am not the right fit there. I am passionate, culturally competent, resilient, strategic, and creative. I would love to add my skillset to the culture of your organization.

Let me be clear, if you invite me to your party, I will dance; but, I will eventually want to be involved with the party host committee.”

He says he is going to send my information to the hiring manager. 

Back to the quote, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” When you ask me to dance, I will not dance for you. I’m expecting you to dance with me and that’s only if we like the song that’s playing.

Like this, please subscribe.

Request to publish or suggest a correction here.

Want to see more like this? Share this post and tag me!

Carjamin Scott can be reached at carjamin.scott@gmail.com and you can follow her on twitter @scottcarjie, instagram @carjiescott.

Spirituality

8 Signs That You Are Leveling Up

by Carjamin Scott on October 16, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. CST

Level up season has arrived and if there is something that you have been working toward or waiting on, I am here to let you know that you are not reading this post by accident. Just to be sure that this message has been delivered to the right person, I have created a list of the eight signs to alert you that you are leveling up.

1. You are starting to act on the plans that you made.

Do you remember those goals that you wrote down? Whatever stopped you from accomplishing those goals before cannot stop you any longer. Now, you are ready to do whatever it takes to make them come to fruition. You realize that everything you need to make it happen is right in front of you.

2. Your situation is shifting from the familiar to the unknown. 

You are now taking action to make your dreams a reality. The territory is uncharted and unfamiliar; but, you are willing to pave your own road. You are excited about the uncertainty and see it as an opportunity to do what you once thought was impossible.

3. Your relationships are changing and you begin to lose meaningless ones. 

New people are coming into your life who believe in you and your vision. They want to see you do well and want to support your cause. Old relationships are ending so that new relationships can arrive. You have learned from the past and have created boundaries to ensure that partnerships are mutual and fulfilling.

4. You start envisioning your new life.

You can finally see the end of the tunnel. At one time, you had no idea of how you were going to make things work. Now, you know what it is going to take to reach your goals and you are willing to put in the work to make it happen. You know what the end result will be and you are excited to imagine it come to life.

5. You are no longer afraid of anything. 

They say, fear is: false evidence appearing real. Your fear is gone and you have nothing to lose. You are ready to put yourself out there and do whatever it takes to get it done. They also say, insanity is: doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You are ready to do something different to get something different.

6. You are more courageous than ever before and open to trying new things. 

You have a renewed sense of energy and are courageous enough to try new things. With your new relationships, you are going to new places and learning new things. Since your fear is gone, you do not mind making and learning from mistakes. You know that it is insane to continue doing things the way you used to. So, it is easy for you to change.

7. You own who you are and what you can accomplish. 

Everything you have learned from the past has prepared you for this moment. You know what you bring to the table; so, you are ready for a seat or you are prepared to buy your own table. You own exactly who you are and what you can do.

8. Your failures were put on display for others to see.

Your story will inspire others to level up. The world will watch your setbacks propel your comeback. Everyone will witness how everything you’ve gone through has strengthened you for this moment. You will finally understand why it all happened this way and you will share what you learned with others.

Thank you for modeling Dr. C! Check her out at fromchristysview.com.

—

Like this, please subscribe.

Request to publish or suggest a correction here.

Want to see more like this? Share this post and tag me! 

Carjamin Scott can be reached at carjamin.scott@gmail.com and you can follow her on twitter @scottcarjie, instagram @carjiescott, and facebook at Dr. Carjie Scott.