Tricks to Stay Humble
Soul Letter #55
Hello👋 folks, Shubham here.
I am back with another edition of Soul Letter 🗞
Humility is appealing. Nobody wants to hang out with guys who never miss an opportunity to highlight their milestones. Such douche-heads believe they are the protagonist of every story.
There’s a reason we admire people like Warren Buffett and Keanu Reeves. They don’t go around flaunting their Lambos.
Success can corrupt even the noblest of souls, therefore it’s important to stay connected to your roots.
Here are a few reminders I use to stay humble.
The Dependency
My cooking skills are abysmal. I have the potential to starve myself to death if left alone in a fully functional kitchen with ample supplies.
Cooking is just one example. There are numerous instances in my daily life where I solely depend on others.
Thinking about how much you depend on others provides a nice reality check and keeps a tab on your ego.
Futile Fame
Fame can be disorienting. History is filled with unpleasant anecdotes of celebs failing to tame their stardom.
It makes people believe they are invincible.
I try to remind myself of the fleeting nature of things.
My follower count on LinkedIn recently crossed the 2k mark. The posts are getting thousands of views. I am living my mini celebrity moment however, it all can be taken in an instant.
If LinkedIn decides to ban my account on a whim or its algorithm changes might plummet my views, I’ll be back to square one.
Remember the impermanence of your glories.
When Was the Last Time I Was Wrong?
This is one of my perennial questions.
I get a lot of things wrong.
My perfectly gauged sports predictions are rarely true.
The gory red highlights on my trading app are enough for anyone to unfollow me.
I am waiting for a day when a reader sues me for preaching life lessons after making questionable decisions in my own life.
Realizing how frequently I am wrong helps me accept I am just another average human.
Things I Don’t Know
NFTs, Blockchain, Trigonometry, Taxes, Blackholes, Economy, Russian Roulette – the list goes on and on and on.
The best way to stay humble is by knowing how little you know.
Every time I discover something new, I am amazed by the fact that there’s so much to learn.
“The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” - Aristotle
Watching Others
Ideally, we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, but it’s a visceral human tendency to compare.
Let’s take writing, for example.
I see teenagers and college kids dominating LinkedIn and Twitter.
Frankly, it’s a bit disorienting watching their posts blow up while mine tanks. However, I use these instances to set the bar which I want to lift.
Their achievements don’t make mine any minuscule, instead give a glimpse of what I ought to aim for.
Dealt a Good Hand
Lastly, the reason I enjoy a good quality of life is because of where I was born.
The narrative could have been considerably different had any one of the variables been altered.
I grew up in a kind and loving joint family which molded me into the person I am today.
At every stage, I was handed the required tools to carve out a decent life.
A dysfunctional family can be a lifelong nightmare.
Final Words
Humility is cool.
Keep growing in silence and let someone randomly stumble upon your work.
Don’t be a dork who tells their triumphs with every breath.
Practice gratitude to stay grounded.
“Humility is the most beautiful virtue that we can develop.”
- Joyce Meyer.
Hope you enjoyed this edition.
Signing off for today :) Until next time, Houdoe! 🙋♂️
Previous Soul Letters 🗞
Beautifully curated!!
Need to implement many of the above mentioned points XD
this is really thoughtful indeed a well written article! keep up the awesome work :)