How are You Coming Along with Humility?
Humility is not a subject that has ever been the first topic of discussion in any conversation I’ve ever had. Yet, it’s one of the most powerful character traits we can possess and should be included in our “personal tool kit for life” that can be used every day to enhance the quality of life we experience. As I age, I find myself drawn like a magnet to people that exhibit humility. I’ve recently paused long enough to wonder why, and I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned.
It’s a great privilege that I can call Todd Gongwer a friend. Todd wrote a book entitled “LEAD…for God’s Sake!” that provides incredible life lessons about leadership. Not just any kind of leadership, but leadership based on helping OTHER PEOPLE reach THEIR goals ahead of being focused on our own. I willingly admit that Todd’s book, and his mentoring, had a positive influence on the writing of my own book “The Answer Discovery – How to Change the World by Helping Others…and Ourselves.” In addition to that, ever since I first read Zig Ziglar’s book entitled “See You At The Top” when I was 22, I’ve attempted to live Zig’s most famous quote “You can get everything you want in life, if you just help enough OTHER PEOPLE get what THEY want.”
Both thought processes from Todd and Zig require humility to be at the forefront of your character, determined by your actions, supported by your words, which are created by your thoughts. My dream of being a Professional Encourager is what I utilize to pursue humility each day through my actions and words. And it works best when I stay focused on Helping Others rather than myself. This has helped the development of other valuable character traits I’ve been pursuing like compassion, kindness, empathy, better listening skills, and understanding differences and how they can bring us together rather than push us apart. All of this took on new light recently when I read a recent LinkedIn post from Todd Gongwer which included an assist from his daughter.
Todd was teaching Key Steps to Self-Awareness at a workshop in Louisiana recently when afterwards, his daughter pointed out that without humility, none of the steps will work. Todd quickly realized that she was right and concluded that “it’s because humility is a posture of the heart, not simply an action step. It’s not nearly as much about what you do as it is about who you are. It can’t be faked…at least over the long haul. And there’s no “5 step process” to it. You’re either humble; evidenced by the overflow of a selfless heart, or you’re not.” Wow! I read that several times to let it sink in. True humility isevidenced by the overflow of a selfless heart. This is a new thought process that I can take action on with the expectation of incredible results. But, how does one exactly do that?
To find out, I looked to people I know well in our community and looked for patterns I could model. To my complete joy, I was able to come up with an overwhelming number of individuals that I feel consistently exemplify humility, as evidenced by the overflow of their selfless heart. It’s funny how when you go looking for something, you find it in abundance because you’re focused on it. I’ve learned to embrace the change that modeling the humility of people, whose humility I admire, has offered my life.
I also had some additional help from Todd Gongwer who listed ways to identify humility that comes from a selfless heart. Those ways included: that you genuinely listen, that you recognize that you don’t have all the answers and can learn from anyone, that you focus on how you can help advance others over yourself, that you are patient and self-controlled, that you welcome and actually invite critical feedback for the purpose of improving your impact on others (NOT simply for your own advancement), and that you walk in love, joy, and peace. The common thread for all of these is: a concern for others over self. Todd concluded that Self-Awareness begins with humility formed by the posture of your heart. It’s not an action step.
So, in a very caring way, I’m curious. How are you coming along with humility? Are you willing to have a talk with the person in the mirror about the role humility currently plays in your life? Would you be willing to consider the improvements that would occur in your life if you focused on living a selfless life, focused on helping others getting what they want rather than your own desires? Could it possibly be true that Zig Ziglar was right when he exclaimed that you can get EVERYTHING YOU WANT in life, if you just help enough OTHER PEOPLE get what THEY want? Would you then be able to walk each day in love, joy, and peace as Todd Gongwer suggests? What’s the posture of your current heart? What is the posture you’d prefer for your future heart and what would need to occur to make it so?
It's with great enthusiasm that I ask you to consider reading Todd Gongwer’s book “LEAD…for God’s Sake!” and implementing the life lessons and thought processes it contains into your daily life. You should also consider reading Zig Ziglar’s book “See You At The Top” especially if you’d like to embrace a positive perspective on pretty much everything. I also want to encourage you to talk about humility with your friends that you most admire. You’ll be amazed at what a lively topic humility can be and how powerful the positive impact it can have on the lives of those that pursue it. So, pursue it. Hey…I Believe In YOU! GiddyUp!