If you do a little research on Google, you will see that there are many strange holidays during the month of February. Today is “Be Humble” day. I like the idea of that, but being humble is difficult. Being humble is not firsthand to human nature, because to me, it means much more than being modest or meek. It means not looking in a mirror to perfect yourself. It means saying you’re sorry for bumping into a stranger with your overstuffed backpack. It means stifling your urge to scream out your opinions in class and pick a fight with someone over a disagreement. It’s not a complete dismissal of your pride, but an acceptance of all of those things that make you truly human, what makes you vulnerable.

To be humble is to be real, to be not just yourself, but the best part of yourself. Being humble allows you to see through the eyes of someone else, to be empathetic, to be interested and observant of what makes them really light up, what gives them that look of carefree, genuine happiness. If you listen to someone else, you might learn that their favorite song is your favorite song; the movie they can quote over and over may change your life; their very favorite place on earth may be right at your disposal.

To be humble is to reach out, not just saying “thank you,” but meaning it. To be humble does not mean to let go of the things that make you great, but to allow the things people never expected of you to shine through. Letting your guard down invites a mess of things into your world, but out of the clutter of impossibility comes self-fulfillment, self-worth and maybe new things, new people to make you happy.

You don’t have to be completely selfless to be humble. You don’t have to abandon every conviction, belief or idea you’ve ever relied on. The act of being humble is simply adding another layer to yourself, knocking down your inner wall to let the world see you in the flesh and in the moment. So, in turn, you can see others — not just giving them the wheel, but helping them turn it.

If you’re humble, you can appreciate so much more. This isn’t a cautionary tale or a verbal filler to reprimand your subconscious for not holding the door or giving yourself one too may pats on the back; because you can be everything and still be humble. You can mess up and still be humble. You can be so great you salsa at the end zone after a touchdown, but you can still be humble. Especially today. Today it really counts (but tomorrow, too, if you want).