Humility: Myths, Mistakes, and Tips

This week we will be discussing humility and how to be/stay humble. Humility is a great quality to have in any situation. It can make you a better friend, family member, employee, and person.

5 Myths:

MYTH #1: Being humble makes you weak. TRUTH: Being humble doesn't make you weak. People who are humble surround themselves with others who complement both their strengths and weaknesses. Being humble isn't a weakness, it's a strength.

MYTH #2: People who are humble lack ambition.

TRUTH: Being humble has nothing to do with someone's ambition. That is the same thing as saying that someone who is introverted lacks ambition, the two are just not correlated.

MYTH #3: Humble people are seen as not being worthy of respect. TRUTH: Again, being humble should not be correlated with respect. Humble people are just as worthy of respect as anyone else.

MYTH #4: Humble people are doormats. TRUTH: People that are humble are not doormats. Being humble doesn't mean that you let people walk all over you. It just means that you are not constantly boasting about how great you are.

MYTH #5: You have to downplay your strengths. TRUTH: You don't have to downplay your strengths to be humble. To be humble you just don't have to constantly brag about all the things you're good at. You don't have to put yourself down, just don't put yourself above others.

3 Mistakes:

MISTAKE #1: Being judgmental. Humble people keep an open mind. Judging someone for the way they live their life/thinking you are better than them is something that someone without a humble mindset would do.

MISTAKE #2: Comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others can lead to so many negative feelings. Humble people want to be better than their previous self, not others.

MISTAKE #3: Looking for attention. When you look for attention it can cause you to act prideful and pushy. To be humble, you cannot act this way.

3 Tips:

TIP #1: Ask for help. Being able to ask for help is one of the biggest aspects of being humble. Recognize when you need help with something and don't let your pride get in the way of you asking for help.

TIP #2: Don't be afraid to make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Mistakes help you learn so you should use them as a learning opportunity. Again, don't let your pride get in the way and do things that you aren't completely sure how to. It's okay if you don't get it 100% correct the first time.

TIP #3: Stop bragging. Someone who is humble doesn't feel the need to brag about their accomplishments all the time. If you want to be humble, cut the bragging.

General Advice:

Listen to other people. One of the biggest aspects of being humble is valuing other's opinions. By listening to others, you are showing you care about their opinion and letting them be heard.

Be thankful. To keep yourself humble, be thankful for the things and people that you have in your life. It is easy to wish for more, but remembering to be grateful will keep you in a positive mindset.

Analyze your actions. Analyze how you act. If you realize that you have been acting very prideful or conceited, put a stop to it. You want to try and make sure you are putting out positive energy and not constantly boasting about the good things in your life.