Sunday, March 1, 2026

What steps can someone take to become more humble in life? Is humility something that can be learned, or is it a trait that one is born with?


The thing to do is to meditate on it, and practice it.

Do humble things.


If they are invisible, even better.

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Minoo Jha
 · 8mo
What small acts of kindness are easy to integrate into your every day life?
Hi Brandon, You asked, What small acts of kindness have you tried to incorporate in to your daily life? Here’s one that comes to mind… I used to be very self-centered. I have become less and less self-centered in recent years. I now try to be more aware of situations that affect other people. If I can remove a source of discomfort for other people, through some small action, I try to do it. I am very proud of these small actions. Here’s an example… A few years ago, I went to office on a Sunday evening. I had to go into office on a Sunday, because we had a commissions program that was only available on a desktop computer in my boss’s cube. I went to run this program and generate an output batch to send to my boss. When I went to my boss’s cube, I saw her walking shoes on her desk. The weekend cleaners had taken the shoes from under her desk and put it on her desk to vacuum the carpet. I saw the same sight in the next cube which belonged to another team member. Her shoes, which should also have been under her desk, were on her desk instead. I knew how upsetting it would be for my boss and my coworker to come into office on Monday morning and be greeted by their dirty walking shoes on their desks. So I took the shoes off from the desks, and put them back under the desks. Then I got some cleaning wipes and wiped off the desks. Till today, my boss and my coworker do not know about this kindness. Nobody knows about this small invisible act of kindness. Other than you. Shh……..
Respond in humble ways, even in situations where you are the loser.

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Minoo Jha
 · 2y
How can someone with a negative effect become more positive?
Hi, You asked, How can you turn a negative situation into a positive one? I went to see the movie Winchester with a friend. Seated next to us were 2 people, an older lady and a young man. After the movie started, the lady would turn to her companion every few minutes and speak in a foreign language. This was terribly distracting. My initial thought was to turn to her and say “Could you please stop talking”, or “Do you mind moving to some other seats where we won’t be disturbed by your talking”. But my better self prevailed. I turned to her and said in a soft and neutral voice, “I am not able to follow the movie.” She said, ‘Oh, I am so sorry. The person I am with doesn’t know English, so I was translating for him. I will stop.” This was when I turned the moment into a real growth opportunity. Moved by her predicament, I turned to her again, gave her a comforting pat on the arm, and said, “It’s okay, go ahead and translate, I think I can manage”. And I really meant it. She did not take me up on it. But by recognizing her need and giving her the go head, she knew I cared about her predicament and that’s all that mattered. Yes, this was one time when I definitely turned a negative situation into a positive situation, and I am proud of it, even writing about it now.
Be willing to say sorry, when you are in the wrong. And even when you are not in the wrong. And use big thinking to overcome challenges to the ego.

Because you will find out that you are not as smart as you think you are, as nice as you think you are, as ethical as you think you are, as honest as you think you are, I could go on and on…. In this piece I wrote, I share my own humbling discoveries about myself - I Thought I Was A Flower I thought I was a flower. Silly me. In so many respects, I am still a bud. And have growing to do. In spite of the sunlight. In spite of the soil. In spite of the water. In spite of the many years I have been on the stalk. I am still a bud. In this respect and that respect. In so many respects. I am still a bud. And I still have growing to do. __ That being the case… Be patient with me. Be patient with me. __ I thought I was a tree. Silly me. I now see. I am just a branch. Of a very big tree. Called humanity. It will take some time. To shake off the idea. That I am not the tree. I have to chip away at the bark. That kept me in the dark. That kept me from seeing all this time. That I am just a part. Of this very big tree. Called humanity. __ Which is why, I ask... Be patient with me. Be patient with me. __ I thought I was the ocean. Silly me. I found out I am just a drop. Among drops and drops and drops. In a vast expanse. That's as wide as it is deep. Beyond what my naked eye can see. When I think about that. I pause. And lift up my hands. And express awe. And then some more. At this amazing vastness I was not aware I was a part of. Isn't it amazing, to think. This little drop that's me. Is part of drops and drops and drops. So vast, it's more than my naked eye can see. And to think I have been living in a bubble that was so tiny. I am glad my eyes have opened. But I have to get used to this. __ So please… Be patient with me. Be patient with me.

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