“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
In other words, this verse emphasizes that if you’re overly confident about your abilities, eventually, something bad will happen, showing that you aren’t as good as you thought you were.
This happened to me in 2020. I was on a roll with my writing career. I had been working full time as a writer since 2009 with a sh*tload of clients. Life was good.
However, with this workload and success, I had one major character flaw: I was too prideful. Basically, I started treating my clients like sh*t.
I started raising my rates, not caring if I lost good clients that had been with me for years. I was too demanding; asking clients to pay me upfront, because all I really cared about was the money instead of serving my clientele.
I was rude to long-time clients who had supplied me with word-of-mouth referrals to other clients.
I was unwilling to learn new skills to keep new clients.
In 2020, I suffered my downfall.
I always blamed it on the 2020 pandemic, or artificial intelligence, or people cutting back on expenses by hiring overseas, or whatever reason, but looking back and taking an honest assessment of myself, I realized the problem was me.
I had too high of an opinion about myself and my skill set.
The truth was that I was falling behind. I was a social media manager, but didn’t upgrade my skills to learn new technology. I didn’t learn SEO writing skills like I should, I didn’t learn new marketing skills, etc.
I was letting down my clients and therefore, not bringing them the sales they had hired me for. Little by little, I started losing clients one by one, until I had nothing. No other way to make money except to work Doordash and Uber. I even tried to go back to waiting tables, something I did before becoming a writer. But nobody wanted to hire me because I was too old and hadn’t waited tables in over 10 years.
Working as a Doordash food delivery driver and Uber driver really humbles you. Anyone who has ever done this line of work will tell you. The customers think lowly of you and the merchants at restaurants hate us.
I had to learn to be humble.
Showing humility is a skillset that all solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and business professionals can build upon and practice. Although it comes more naturally for some people than others, becoming humble is a characteristic that may be strengthened when practiced.
Humility is showing an absence of arrogance or pride. People who are humble are usually seen as insecure, quiet, or passive. But, this isn’t an accurate assumption of someone exhibiting humility. As a matter of fact, a truly humble individual is typically very competent and confident, and also an excellent leader.
Humble individuals don’t feel any need to boast about their achievements or themselves, despite having a lot to brag about. They aren’t too proud to help other people, and they recognize that they also looked for help during various points of their careers and lives. Plus, people who are humble generally permit their actions to speak for them, instead of talking themselves up. Humble people don’t overcompensate with lots of self-accolades and chatter.
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Practicing being humble in the working environment will transform a company. It applies to everyone in a company, and at every position and level, even a company’s CEO. A corporation that hires humble managers and workers develops a workspace that has more open communication and collaboration. Also, they welcome collective projects and ideas. It’ll create a more inclusive and inviting workplace.
If you have a desire to practice humility, here are ten ways to do it:
Be open to adapting, shifting, and changing, even when it is a challenge
Continue educating yourself and learning in your job
Own all of your mistakes
Be open to feedback and constructive criticism
Frequently express your gratitude and be appreciative of other people
Be an excellent listener and ensure that other people feel understood and heard around you
Work towards placing other peoples’ desires before your own
Be open to adapting and learning from your coworkers
Acknowledge and recognize the strengths of other people
Be alert to your own limitations, strengths, and shortcomings
If every worker in a business practiced the tips above on a consistent basis, their workspace would transform. Inevitably, those practices could strengthen a company’s collective purpose, develop a more seamless workflow, and boost profits and productivity. Also, the more humility you incorporate into your day-to-day engagements, the happier you’ll become.
Listen to other people and consider their point-of-view. Being alert to your own weaknesses and strengths has a domino effect on your business. The more humility you incorporate, the more humility you’ll receive in return from your coworkers.
You might have encountered one who was, at one time, humble, then, after being promoted, their ego got in the way. It may be common in relationships and professional settings. But, remaining humble while additionally advancing your career is beneficial and possible.
A really humble individual has the ability to accept and listen to other people while coming into their own success and power. They do not feel the need to control other people. Instead, they’re confident enough to remain centered in their purpose, as they allow other people to figure out their strengths.
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