For the longest time, I thought humility meant downplaying myself. Shrinking. Avoiding compliments. Acting like my wins weren’t a big deal. Turns out, that’s not humility—that’s insecurity with a polite name.
Real humility isn’t lowering yourself. It’s lifting others.
Everywhere I’ve been, everything I’ve done—none of it happened in isolation. Someone, somewhere, made it easier. A mentor gave advice. A friend showed up at the right time. A stranger’s kindness nudged me forward.
Forgetting that is easy. Standing on a mountain and thinking, “I climbed this,” without noticing the ones who held the rope, pointed out the path, or stopped me from falling off a cliff.
That’s why humility matters. Not as self-deprecation, but as a habit—one that forces me to look around and say, “Hey, I didn’t do this alone.”
Here’s what happens when that thought turns into action:
- People feel seen. Nothing makes someone’s day like hearing, “What you did really mattered to me.” Most people walk around wondering if they make a difference. They do. Say it.
- Small things stop feeling small. The quiet support, the things that seem ordinary—acknowledging them reveals how much they actually mean.
- It keeps my feet on the ground. Success can make anyone a little delusional. The moment I start thinking I got here purely on my own, I know I’ve lost perspective.
- It changes how I lead. The best people don’t just work for money or status. They work because they want to feel valued. Acknowledgment costs nothing, but it makes people want to give their best.
Humility isn’t thinking less of myself. It’s thinking more of those who make my life better. And the more I do that, the better everything gets.
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