The Journey of the Humble (By Marsha Maung)

Staying Humble is Hard Work 

Humility wins over pride any time of the day. This is not to say that you can't be proud of the work that you do and the awards that you've gained along the winding road of daily-grinds. You've absolutely earned it but there is a fine line between being proud and gloating. Toe it.

In my line of work, it's impossible NOT to say great things about the products, services, and packages that I write about in glossy brochures, postcard-ready Instagram posts, and attention-grabbing websites. It's advertising. From the get-go, I need to say fantastic things (if possible, not bend truth out of its confined proportions). I need to beat the beast over the head, win people over and get them to part with their hard-earned money. There are no other ways around this... I've checked.

But that's work.

In your personal pursuits and the way you communicate with others, whether at functions, meetings or on the train, it is a better idea to be a little bit of a humble brag. People hate humble brags and it takes practice not to be an annoying one, but a few mistakes is going to polish you.

At the end of the day, the purpose of it all is to remind yourself that...

Pride speaks, Don't let Success Get to your Head 

It's not about pride or being proud, it's about having the right mindset. A mindset of being able to hit the ground running no matter the situation, the ability to see things from a beginner's point of view, and the willingness to learn from the rook-iest of people, says a lot of about how far you're going to make it into the game.

Imagine if you wake up every day with a scoreboard that reads 0-0. You've won nothing. You're starting over every morning. Despite everything that you've done in the past, all your achievements, you're starting from ground zero again. It makes you yearn for success because a relentless person is the most resourceful and productive one.

Despite having worked in the industry for well over 17 years, there are better writers, better analysts, newer ideas, more successful people, and more innovative technologies. I've said it before and I'll say it again: no one is ever THE best. There is no such thing.

Growing Requires Listening and Learning 

You'll be surprised at how much you'll grow and the number of new things people thrust into your arms when you're willing. Every year, we have a new American Idol, a new Miss Universe and a new winner for UK's Got Talent. If every single one of the winners, awards in hand, refuse to grow with times because they've 'made it', the journey will come to a head.

But if you listen in order to learn, you'll go a long way... and you'll never stop being hip! Well, maybe 'relevant' was the word I was looking for.

"By limiting our expansion, we soon become stagnant. While resting on our laurels, we then get surpassed by those who are hungry and willing to work - BeWellHub.com

Humility and hard work is an astounding combination. Do you agree?

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Journey-of-the-Humble&id=9849967

The Number 1 Reason Why You Shouldn't Take Life for Granted

You are smug and happy with life. Or your life does not have many challenges. At any rate, do not take this kind of life for granted. Why? Read on to find out.

If you take your happy, non-challenging life for granted, Almighty heavenly force will soon start to test you and throw big enough challenges your way. He would like to see how you cope with them.

If you take it easy, the Almighty force will be merciful and let you lead your life your way. If you resist or can't tolerate it, this Almighty force will throw more challenges your way. So, remember to be sober and humble. These two qualities will keep you safe from all hard knock downs or challenges.

Remember who you are and what you were meant to do in this life. Work smart and contribute something to your world every day. Every person on this fertile earth should have a life purpose. Carry it out and most of all, love doing it.

Never say this or that will never happen to you. Anything in any way can happen to anybody. So don't be so sure of yourself. Stay calm and work what you love doing quietly. You will be blessed. Yes, that's right what you just read. I repeat: YOU WILL BE BLESSED.

You also need to love people around you- your family, relatives, neighbors, friends and colleagues. If for any reason you dislike someone, keep your distance and hardly communicate with them.

This is one thing you should always remember: Life does not remain the same for somebody for too long. If you are in pain either because of a loss or some ailment, things will get better. If you are too contented with life, the challenges will start to set in. So in that case do not be too harsh on yourself. You need to love yourself as much as you need to with others.

That way, you are fine. Life is all about joy and sorrow and they come by turns. So make sure you understand this philosophy of life and therefore, do not, by any chance, take your happiness for granted.

I do not encourage you to worry and rob your moments of joy. Just be in the knowhow change will set in and still stay in the present and enjoy. After all, every single person on this earth was born to be happy and enjoy life. So don't fret too much and I encourage you to go ahead and enjoy!!

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Number-1-Reason-Why-You-Shouldnt-Take-Life-for-Granted&id=9529887

Do These 6 Things to Be More Humble

Humility is a quality that can effect powerful positive change in your life. Here’s how to cultivate it.

As virtues go, humility is pretty unpopular. Being paid the “humble” compliment can be worse than when a woman gives her romantic partner the “you’re a nice guy” let down. But many positive psychologists feel that humility is due for an image makeover.

Part of the reason humility has been so overlooked as valuable and honorable is practicality. After all, it’s hard to measure how humble a person is. If researchers ask someone to assess her own humility and the self-rating is five out of five stars, how humble can she really be? This paradox of humility is why you probably haven’t heard of it as a “regular”—up there with gratitude, optimism and compassion—in the science of happiness. It’s difficult to quantify and study.

Humility also has another public relations challenge: It’s not exciting. We might appreciate the trait in others—we don’t feel threatened by unassuming people—but in ourselves? Eh. We’d rather be confident and bold. We’ll take that spotlight, thank you very much. Humility doesn’t have the Oprah-worthy, leather-bound gratitude journals, nor does it feature optimism’s sunny, iconic smiley face, nor the heartwarming imagery of compassion.

But humility could effect just as powerful a positive change in your life as the other pillars of well-being. Higher levels of humility have been associated with a higher sense of life purpose, better (self-reported) health, increased workplace harmony, longer-lasting marriages and greater generosity—all of which contribute to stronger communities. And that’s sort of the point of humility: It’s for the good of all, not just oneself (another reason it’s been a tough sell). “Humility is a very pro-social quality,” says Joshua Hook, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Texas.

But if you don’t want to cultivate humility for the sake of others, do it for your love life. In one study, Hook and other researchers asked college students to check out the online-dating profile of a potential romantic partner and assess the likelihood that they would accept a date with the person. Along with an essay about interests and history, the profile included measurements of various personality traits such as extroversion, openness to new experiences, neuroticism and humility. One group was shown a profile of someone who was rated “highly humble” (ranked in the 87th percentile). A second group was shown the exact same profile, but with a “not humble” (24th percentile) rating. Overwhelmingly, the students who were given the more humble candidate were significantly more willing to accept a date than those shown the not-so-modest match. “When you don’t always need to be right, relationships are smoother and can be more intimate,” Hook says.

Research on the personal benefits of humility is still in its nascent stage, Hook says, but he is confident that the humility-happiness connection will be proved even stronger. These strategies can help you cultivate humility for yourself, for your partners at work and home, and for the world at large.

1. Ask for feedback.

Humility can be defined two ways, says Don Emerson Davis Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Georgia State University and director of its Humility and Advancement of Positive Psychology Interventions (HAPPI) Lab. Interpersonally, humility involves an outlook that is other-oriented rather than self-focused. On a personal level, though, humility involves an accurate view of the self. Ask several close friends to be really honest about three things they appreciate about you and three areas where you might need some growth. It’s OK to be proud of your strengths, Davis says, as long as you acknowledge—and work on—your weaknesses.

2. Confront your prejudices.

As a class exercise in humility, Hook encourages his students to identify an area of diversity or culture that they struggle with or admittedly know little about. One of his students, for example, felt uncomfortable with elderly people and held strong opinions about what it meant to be older. As her class assignment, she visited a nursing home and interviewed the residents there about their past and current lives. “The intention should be to listen and learn,” he says, “not to argue or prove a point or confirm your suspicions.” If you have negative views about, say, a particular religion, ask to interview a practitioner or attend a service. Then look for similarities rather than differences. “Humility is all about having an open mind,” Hook says.

3. Start with a question.

Paul Shoemaker, author of Can’t Not Do: The Compelling Social Drive That Changes Our World and founder of Social Venture Partners, a network of leaders supporting social change around the world, says he starts any meeting with a question instead of a solution. It takes humility to show what you don’t know instead of what you do, but “one good question is worth 100 good answers,” he says. “Humility creates more oxygen in the room. It allows for others to participate and come together and make a change. If you think you already know everything or act like you do, other people will check out, and things won’t get done as quickly or as well.”

4. Really listen.

You can ask thousands of questions, but if you don’t listen to the responses, it won’t do any good. Listening does not obligate you to agree (nor does humility make you a passive doormat), but it does help dial down your own pride. Yours is not the only way of thinking or doing. After someone shares an opinion or experience, take a moment to digest what he or she said before you speak.

5. Accept setbacks.

Let yourself be humbled by your experiences, Shoemaker advises, because “if you don’t get your butt handed to you every now and then, you’re probably not deep enough in the work or the cause to make a real difference.” Humility allows you to accept challenges without the fear of failure. And when those failures inevitably come, he says, use what you learned to do it better next time.

6. Discover awe.

Take notice of and express gratitude for the world’s beauty and wonder. Most simply put, being humble is recognizing that you are not the hub of the universe. It’s hard to maintain your self-centeredness when gazing up at the stars or into a newborn’s eyes. 

http://www.success.com/article/do-these-6-things-to-be-more-humble