“Humility comes from inside out and it says, “Someone was here before me and someone has already paid for me.” I have a responsibility to pay for someone else who is yet to come, there is no room in there for ego!” – Maya Angelou

When I think how much sacrifice my parents have done in their lifetime for my sister and I to have the lives that we do, I’m reminded that for all the blessings I have, I did not get them only on my own.   I am humbled for all the opportunities given to me. Humility and gratitude are values I hold dearly both in my professional and personal lives. It is for this reason that I am bothered when I hear others disparage the work of others before them and not realizing that these same work they are criticizing are some of the reasons why they have the opportunities they have now.

I cringe when I hear those who label the work of others as “piece of shit” or “garbage”. There is so much arrogance behind those words, the sense of superiority, the sense that the work of others don’t matter. There is so much ignorance behind those words.

Too many times, I see the sense of privilege, that somehow the world owes us what we “deserve”. I admit, I even forget all the privileges I have and take them for granted. However, I am quickly reminded of how fortunate I am when I think about the sacrifices my parents and all those who paved the way for me. Let’s not forget that for all the successes and experiences we have, we did not do this solely on our own.