How to Stay Humble in an Imperfect World

During a recent television interview profiling the CEO of a global property restoration company, he not only talked about the success of the business he built from the ground up, but also about the one task he is devoted to completing daily.

Every morning, the CEO signs birthday cards for employees celebrating that day and, when possible, includes a personal note. He initially started the process when his team was comprised of just nineteen employees. Today, thousands work for him around the world. When asked why he takes the time to focus on this task when there are many other important issues for him to address each day, he stated that it is important to him to stay humble. It is very possible that this CEO has a loyal team behind him because his actions show that he genuinely cares about those who support him, not just himself and his accomplishments.

So, what does being humble mean exactly?

Having humility in your life and work means that you believe, no matter your title, bank account balance, or material possessions, that you are not better than those around you.

Being humble means:

• You understand the difference between confidence and arrogance.

• You set clear core values for yourself, base your daily actions on those values, and no matter the temptation to stray from those values, you stay true to your mission of being a positive influence on those around you.

• You take time to mentor others by first pointing out their unique talents and strengths, and then guiding them to find their passion and place in the world.

• You never forget those who have helped you along the way by checking in with them on a regular basis to determine if there is a way you can help them achieve greatness.

• You greet those who cross your path with genuine curiosity about how they really are, no matter their title, role, or wealth status.

• You have a willingness to always learn, and never believe you know it all about anything.

While navigating our way through an often competitive world and workplace, it can be tempting to boast about our achievements or focus only on ourselves as a way to stand out. But is that truly the best way to live?

Being humble is not a weakness. Instead, it is a strength that can serve as a trusted guide with a purpose of gently reminding you that life is more than material objects and professional accomplishments. Leading with humility is about being kind, focusing out instead of in, sharing recognition, and practicing gratitude for all the gifts life brings you every day.

“Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.”

--Gordon B. Hinckley

 Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Mindfulness Exercise: Viewing Life with Awe

On October 13, 2021, ninety-year-old William Shatner became the oldest man to fly in space via the Blue Origin rocket. After the craft touched down on Earth eleven minutes later, Shatner emerged, obviously touched by his experience.

While relaying his post-voyage feelings to Jeff Bezos, Shatner wiped tears and said, “I hope I never recover from this. I hope that I can maintain what I feel now. I just don’t want to lose it.” In short, Shatner was changed forever simply by changing his perspective and seeing the awe in life.

When was the last time you changed your perspective and viewed your life with awe?

 You don’t have to fly to space on a rocket to feel something similar to what Shatner experienced that day. All you have to do is observe your life, experiences, and challenges from a different viewpoint or angle.

Today, make an effort to see your life just as William Shatner saw space and Earth—with wonder, awe, and excitement. All of this in the vast universe—nature, love, difficulties, and joys—is here just for you.

Think about this. You are just a tiny speck in a vast universe. The fact that you are even here is a miracle in itself. As you plug away doing the best you can every day to be a better person, make a contribution, and spread love, it’s important to never lose that feeling of awe and to remember that you are here for a reason.

You are a miracle who has experiences unlike any other in the world. You have the ability to view the world in your own, awe-inspiring way while knowing that what you hold in your head and heart from your experiences and views of your life are yours to keep.

Go outdoors and look up at the enormous sky. Think about all the miracles that surround you every day. Airplanes soaring. Clouds floating by. Birds flying. Stars twinkling. Listen to the wind in the trees. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face. All of these are wonders never to be taken for granted.

Be like William Shatner and make a pledge to stay in awe mode. Always.

“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.”—Albert Einstein

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

What Are You Doing to Pay It Forward?

A recent magazine article profiled a woman who, after turning eighty, decided to celebrate her birthday in a different way. Inspired by a friend who decades earlier gifted a mutual acquaintance with twenty-one roses on her twenty-first birthday, the woman began contemplating how she could pay it forward and help others—all while rejoicing in her long life. As she started to pull together a plan to hand-deliver eighty dollars to eighty friends and relatives, ask them to gift it to someone in need, and then send her a note to tell her about the experience, the woman had no idea of the positive impact her plan would have not just on the world, but also on her. As the notes detailing one amazing experience after another started to fill her mailbox, the woman soon realized that even the smallest of gestures have the power to spread monumental joy. Her most important takeaway lesson was that in her efforts to help and lift others, her life was forever changed as well.

We all know that life is not easy. It is full of just as much heartache as joy and just as many challenges as effortless tasks. When we are able to detach from the unhelpful practice of comparing ourselves to others, we also know deep inside that none of us are better than anyone else. We are all here to love, learn, struggle, and celebrate. No matter how much money we have in our bank accounts, we are all exiting this life the same way. Wherever we reside in the world, we are more alike than we imagine.

Every morning when we awaken to begin a new day, we are presented with the opportunity to transform the world around us with kindness. Paying it forward doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can be as simple as buying a cup of coffee for a friend or stranger, inviting a widowed neighbor to dinner, offering a genuine hug to someone who is suffering, taking in the neighbor’s trash can on a windy day, writing a thank-you note to a friend or co-worker who picked up the lunch tab, whispering encouragement to a young adult struggling to find himself or herself, or apologizing to someone for being impatient, rude, or angry during a time when portraying a calm presence would have been a better choice.

In paying it forward, we are not only reminding others of the importance of kind gestures, but also ourselves. While it is easy to become caught up in the busyness of life, it is also just as easy to slow down, take a look around, and realize that someone needs you right now. That someone may be a stranger, a client, your company’s CEO, or someone you love more than anything.

To transform your thinking toward paying it forward as often as possible, remember the three words you learned when crossing the street for the first time: Stop. Look. Listen. Someone needs hope. Someone needs encouragement. Someone needs love. Someone needs to know that in the midst of navigating this often-challenging life, there is light.

In the act of gifting someone with a tiny moment of joy in this imperfect existence we call life, you give yourself the greatest gift of all: the knowledge that we are all in this together.

Make a difference.

“A purposeful act or extension of kindness to another is never wasted, for it always resides in the hearts of all involved in a chain of love.”

―Molly Friedenfeld

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.