Questions About My Word Umkehr

     With pride, there are many curses. With humility, there come many blessings. 

Ezra Taft Benson

June is a month to evaluate the relationship I have with my One Little Word 2018.

Umkekr
to change one's ways

Having a word like Umkehr has meant that I seriously watch where my actions are taking me. It is a word that invites reflection and evaluation. Seeing the word and responding willingly to the word has made space for humility.

I have enjoyed that this word is hopeful. 

If we can turn and right our path then we can correct our mistakes and begin again. Just like I come back to the Bach Sonata on the piano each day and with hope work through the mistakes I made the day before, so I look at the mistakes I make with my impatience with my husband. I must correct my actions so often with him when I push to have my own way. "I'm sorry" are words that coexist with Umkehr.

The challenges I face with my little word is overcoming pride. 

I'll not change my ways to suit you. These are my mistakes and I own them proudly. I can't possibly let anyone see how often I fall back to self-defeating behavior so I'll pretend that I don't care.

I can tell that I'm entangled with pride when I run the same script in my head rationalizing my behavior. When I can't concentrate on the question, "What do others need from me?" then I'm pretty sure I need a good dose of Umkehr.

Pride and humility, one stops us from righting our path and the other makes our path open with hope.

"She went back to all that was comfortable, familiar, and right, while keeping her gaze looking ahead- to all that would be and could."

Colleen Attara

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Click here to see a table of contents of how this word has become a focus in my life this year.