I’ve always had a hard time believing the concept that you have to be humble before you can achieve anything successful. It’s what Saint Augustine said: “Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.”
To me, the two seem unlinked. I mean, yeah, you should be humble. But how does being humble help you achieve success?
I think the truth is found first in an accurate definition of humility. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s not pretending you aren’t worth anything. It’s not about self-deprecation. If you’re good at something, you can acknowledge that. That’s okay.
Humility is thinking about yourself less. It’s not focusing on you. And it’s not inflating your value. Humility is acknowledging the truth about yourself and realizing that it doesn’t make you better than anyone else. You’re good at some things; other people are good at other things.
Not how does humility help you achieve success?
Humility tells me that I don’t deserve anything from the world. When I see myself accurately, it tells me I’m not entitled to anything more than anyone else. That means, if I want to succeed, I need to work hard. It means I need to do what I’m good at, and realize that there will be real challenges.
There are some things that will take a lot of work. There will be some things that won’t come naturally to me.
Too many people think their dreams should come easily to them. They won’t. And humility will tell you that.
So do you want to achieve success? Do you want to reach your dreams? Humble up. It’s going to take a lot of work. And that’s okay. That’s how it’s supposed to be.