Healthy Shame
Healthy shame is that inner compass—-the gentle voice of God-—that tells me something is amiss in my life, and it motivates me to change or make amends so that I can be true to myself.
My first year of college was a bit of an exercise of 'livin la vida loca.' I didn't do well in some of my classes—a philosophy class in particular. I was getting Ds on my tests, and one day after an exam was returned to us, my professor, Dr. Nobo, stopped me in the hall, looked at me, and said, "Mr. Emmert, this is not who you are."
I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself, but it was a healthy shame. His word to me was that voice telling me that something was amiss in my life and I needed to—-and could—-change. And I did. His word that day, and the healthy shame I experienced because of it, kept me in school and got me focused on living up to my potential. We are friends, and I thank God still today for Jorge Nobo.