Do I really have to become meek and humble to be a Christian?

We read the Beatitudes at every liturgy, and whenever I hear them I find myself challenged: how much of the gospel do I actually believe, and how much do I really want to live? The first ones are easy to love. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Then we get to the third one: blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Every time I hear that I think, do I want to be meek? Do I want to live that meekness, that humility? The saints say there is no humility without humiliation. I remember teaching a catechism class on this, and one person chimed in, But Father, I want the humility without the humiliation. I said, me too. We tell ourselves meekness doesn't fit our personality or our temperament, but that is the gospel Christ gives us.