The Strategies
Enjoy this experpt from the book Strategies for Happiness: How to Achieve Your Happiness Potential. To get the full story, Click here to order a copy today!
Radical Humility
Do you have a big ego? Do you need to be first at everything? Do you think you're the cat's meow? To some degree we are like that in one way or another, but consider the following quote:
It is amazing what one can accomplish if one does not care who gets the credit.
Funny thing is this quote is credited to two men: John Dove Isaacs and Harry S. Truman. Who actually said this quote? We don't know, and if we take the quote to heart, we don't care.
Stop for a moment and ponder what this quote is saying. Think of the impact it could have on the world if people would just take it to heart. "It is amazing what one can accomplish if one does not care who gets the credit." I am talking about developing an attitude of Radical Humility.
Ray Schneider, an Assistant Professor in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department of Bridgewater College, Virginia, said "Let others clamor for the credit. Seek first the personal satisfaction of knowing that you have done well."
This is the essence of what it means to have Radical Humility. You are constantly doing your best knowing that it's something that is worthwhile and useful to the world, and then sitting back and enjoying the results. Whether you receive the credit is irrelevant. You know that you did a good job; you made a difference.
Jerry Weinberg, speaking to computer programmers in the book The Psychology of Computer Programming wrote: Don't worry about the credit, even if your claims are just and true, You have done it and so now you can focus on improving your skills to do even more. Don't worry that the workplace may not be fair and objective in all cases.
Having Radical Humility means you do your best and enjoy the doing, no matter what the result.
Someone who wrings their hands, mumbling how bad they are, and apologizing for their existence is not displaying Radical Humility, either. To do so is just as bad as someone who is conceited and always saying how important and wonderful he/she is. Both individuals are being self-absorbed and are actually saying "Look at me!"
To say "I am so wonderful" or "I am so pitiful" are both self-absorbed attitudes. People who are truly humble – truly egoless – can look at their life, assess themselves clearly, acknowledge where they do well, and enjoy it without fanfare. Or, they are able to identify where they need help and are neither afraid nor too arrogant to ask for it.
People who have Radical Humility treat themselves and others with respect. As the Bible says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." When you have Radical Humility, it does not mean that you allow people to walk all over you. It just means that being "number one" is irrelevant. You are balanced in your relationships. You care about yourself, but not at the expense of those around you.
It is important to be open to what others have to say. Someone may make comments that are hurtful, but if you confident in yourself, you can check to see if there is anything valid in the statement. If there is, then you can make the necessary changes. If not, then the Radically Humble person can just let it go. They are not threatened that others may not agree with them or believe the same way they do. They don't take things personally and out of context or waste any precious life energy fussing to trying to be right.
Taking things personally has always been a problem with me. I am learning to separate my sense of being from what others think of me. When facing situations that previously would have put me over the top, I am now better able to let them go, and even burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.
With a healthy humility, you feel good about yourself. There is no need to prove anything. Self-respect is at the heart of true humility. Humility is being so secure in yourself, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, that you are at ease. There is no need for comparison in either a negative or positive way. When you have Radical Humility, you don't need to take the credit; you can just enjoy your contribution. It's a matter of being balanced in your views and relationships. Loose yourself and become free.