Wednesday, September 05, 2007
How Humility Can Be Your Best Friend
That's right, humility can really help you rise to the top to whatever is important for you. Can you imagine that?
Why? Because it will let you say and do things that would otherwise be impossible for you. I am not talking about subservience to others. Webster refers to humility as a state of being humble. And being humble means not being arrogant or haughty.
I personally can think of many instances where being humble would have served me in good fashion. No you guessed it. I can think of many times in my life were I was anything but humble. It would have paid me big time if I had worn the cloak of humility.Stand for Your Greatness
I am referring specifically to an out of control ego and how that hurt my bottom line or pocketbook. After a series of negative instances like this, I took pause and reflected upon the unfortunate situations I had created for myself.
“Gee, I wish I had exercised more self-discipline.” You know, things like that. Psychologists will tell you that this appears to be examples of a sense of inferiority or insecurity. As I look back on the unfortunate situations, there probably is some truth to that.
On the other hand, had I been living with some genuine humility, I have no doubt in my mind, things would have turned out different for me. Certainly in a more positive manner.
Lets face it, if you have genuine humility, the world and everything in it, can be your oyster. I mean, like you can live your life like a genuine champion. Like how?
Well for starters, you can live with the certainty and knowledge that there is nothing out there that will be a threat to your ego. You know what I am referring to when I mention “ego”. I am referring to the “man in charge”. The deal breaker. You know, the guy that is always sticking his foot in his mouth. Like saying the wrong things at the wrong time.
His boss is Mr. Fear. This is who he takes his orders from. Anyway, back to subject at hand…living with humility. It’s a no brainer. Take the shield of humility with you into what ever arena you choose, and believe me, you will be very pleased with your results.
Like how? Most importantly, you will be the master of your emotions. Now how is that for starters? How many times have you let your temper or whatever negative emotions you can think of, get in your way of making a good impression, sealing a deal or handling criticism, or frustrations?
Speaking for myself, I over the years, have been my own worst enemy. I am sure you know what I am talking about.
Another big advantage of wearing the shield of humility is, not many people are going to be envious or jealous of you. Who can get mad at a genuine humble person? Why? The answer is simple, nobody will consider you a “threat”.
In this regard, it is only human nature, to want to help a humble person. Why? Because most humble people are enjoyable to be around. They are not arrogant, threatening, or invasive. A humble person makes you feel good about yourself. A humble person normally doesn’t “rub you the wrong way”.
Remember Marco Polo? History tells us that he was a very humble guy. Whoop! Whoa. Stop right here. Being humble doesn’t mean you don’t possess self confidence.
Goodness no. A really confident person doesn’t need to show boat his abilities. A “quiet self-confidence” serves to sooth the anxieties and tensions of the moment.
How do you think Marco Polo was able to get along and persuade these movers and shakers from entirely different cultures and customs then what he was from? He did it with genuine humility and leadership.
The same can be said for Buddha, Jesus Christ, and Alexander the Great, for that matter.
You might not associate humility with Alexander the Great, but it is true. If you do any ready about Alexander, you will realize that humility was one of his greatest attributes.
His claim to glory was the fact that he was barely 30 years old when he conquered the known world for his time. And how did he do that? Why of course, he did it with his army. But, he didn’t have a huge army. Not by any means. In fact, in military terms, it was quite common for his army to be outnumbered by the enemy.
The secret to his incredible military leadership was that his men actually loved and adored Alexander. They would march to hell for him. And why was this? The fact be known was that Alexander approached his men with great humility. He made it a habit to arise in the mornings very early with his men and do the compelling physical work outs with his men.
He led his men into battle, not from the rear away from danger, but right smack dab in the front. He always placed himself in the thick of the action. In fact, it is said, that Alexander, possessed more scars from battle then needle point marks on a quilt patch.
During Alexander’s long march in one of his India campaigns, the thirst and exhaustion became devasting for the entire Macedonian army.
The troopers were dropping off like flies. Finally, Alexander called a halt for a rest period. During this reprieve, the troops shared all of their water and poured the remnants in one cup and gave it to Alexander for his nourishment.
What did Alexander do when he received the cup with water? He turned to his men and said that if there wasn’t water for his troops then he wouldn’t drink the water. Then he poured out the water to the ground. His army roared with praise and approval. The loved him.
Why? Because it will let you say and do things that would otherwise be impossible for you. I am not talking about subservience to others. Webster refers to humility as a state of being humble. And being humble means not being arrogant or haughty.
I personally can think of many instances where being humble would have served me in good fashion. No you guessed it. I can think of many times in my life were I was anything but humble. It would have paid me big time if I had worn the cloak of humility.Stand for Your Greatness
I am referring specifically to an out of control ego and how that hurt my bottom line or pocketbook. After a series of negative instances like this, I took pause and reflected upon the unfortunate situations I had created for myself.
“Gee, I wish I had exercised more self-discipline.” You know, things like that. Psychologists will tell you that this appears to be examples of a sense of inferiority or insecurity. As I look back on the unfortunate situations, there probably is some truth to that.
On the other hand, had I been living with some genuine humility, I have no doubt in my mind, things would have turned out different for me. Certainly in a more positive manner.
Lets face it, if you have genuine humility, the world and everything in it, can be your oyster. I mean, like you can live your life like a genuine champion. Like how?
Well for starters, you can live with the certainty and knowledge that there is nothing out there that will be a threat to your ego. You know what I am referring to when I mention “ego”. I am referring to the “man in charge”. The deal breaker. You know, the guy that is always sticking his foot in his mouth. Like saying the wrong things at the wrong time.
His boss is Mr. Fear. This is who he takes his orders from. Anyway, back to subject at hand…living with humility. It’s a no brainer. Take the shield of humility with you into what ever arena you choose, and believe me, you will be very pleased with your results.
Like how? Most importantly, you will be the master of your emotions. Now how is that for starters? How many times have you let your temper or whatever negative emotions you can think of, get in your way of making a good impression, sealing a deal or handling criticism, or frustrations?
Speaking for myself, I over the years, have been my own worst enemy. I am sure you know what I am talking about.
Another big advantage of wearing the shield of humility is, not many people are going to be envious or jealous of you. Who can get mad at a genuine humble person? Why? The answer is simple, nobody will consider you a “threat”.
In this regard, it is only human nature, to want to help a humble person. Why? Because most humble people are enjoyable to be around. They are not arrogant, threatening, or invasive. A humble person makes you feel good about yourself. A humble person normally doesn’t “rub you the wrong way”.
Remember Marco Polo? History tells us that he was a very humble guy. Whoop! Whoa. Stop right here. Being humble doesn’t mean you don’t possess self confidence.
Goodness no. A really confident person doesn’t need to show boat his abilities. A “quiet self-confidence” serves to sooth the anxieties and tensions of the moment.
How do you think Marco Polo was able to get along and persuade these movers and shakers from entirely different cultures and customs then what he was from? He did it with genuine humility and leadership.
The same can be said for Buddha, Jesus Christ, and Alexander the Great, for that matter.
You might not associate humility with Alexander the Great, but it is true. If you do any ready about Alexander, you will realize that humility was one of his greatest attributes.
His claim to glory was the fact that he was barely 30 years old when he conquered the known world for his time. And how did he do that? Why of course, he did it with his army. But, he didn’t have a huge army. Not by any means. In fact, in military terms, it was quite common for his army to be outnumbered by the enemy.
The secret to his incredible military leadership was that his men actually loved and adored Alexander. They would march to hell for him. And why was this? The fact be known was that Alexander approached his men with great humility. He made it a habit to arise in the mornings very early with his men and do the compelling physical work outs with his men.
He led his men into battle, not from the rear away from danger, but right smack dab in the front. He always placed himself in the thick of the action. In fact, it is said, that Alexander, possessed more scars from battle then needle point marks on a quilt patch.
During Alexander’s long march in one of his India campaigns, the thirst and exhaustion became devasting for the entire Macedonian army.
The troopers were dropping off like flies. Finally, Alexander called a halt for a rest period. During this reprieve, the troops shared all of their water and poured the remnants in one cup and gave it to Alexander for his nourishment.
What did Alexander do when he received the cup with water? He turned to his men and said that if there wasn’t water for his troops then he wouldn’t drink the water. Then he poured out the water to the ground. His army roared with praise and approval. The loved him.
