Mr. Achievement - Stanley F. Bronstein - Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

Law #51

Position Yourself To Be Humble / Modest

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. (Norman Vincent Peale)

Some Definitions

Believe - To have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so. To have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.

Yourself - You. Your self.

Faith - Confidence or trust in a person or thing.

Ability/ Abilities - Talents; special skills or aptitudes. Power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.. Competence in an activity or occupation because of one’s skill, training, or other qualification.

Without - With the absence, omission, or avoidance of; not with; with no or none of; lacking. Free from; excluding.

Humble - Not proud or arrogant; modest. Courteously respectful.

Arrogance - Offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.

Reasonable - Agreeable to reason or sound judgment; logical. Not exceeding the limit prescribed by reason; not excessive.

Confidence - Full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing. Belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance. Certitude; assurance.

Own - Of, pertaining to, or belonging to oneself or itself.

Power / Powers - Ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something. Great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force.

Cannot - The negative form of can.

Successful - Achieving or having achieved the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors. Resulting in or attended with success.

Happy - Delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing. Characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Is This Quote Suggesting?

The quote is talking about 2 things. The power of believing in yourself (i.e. confidence), AND the need to not be overconfident (humility).

There is nothing wrong with being confident in your abilities, your talents and your ideas. In fact, I encourage it whenever I speak in public. HOWEVER, the more important point being suggested by the quote is the need to have humility. In other words, the need for our beliefs in ourselves to be tempered; to be reasonable; to show humility.

What Happens If We Lack Humility?

If we lack humility, we run the risk of becoming “too full of ourselves.” We run around telling everyone how great we are and how we cannot possibly fail.

Then guess what happens? Some person or some event comes along to take us down a couple of notches. In so doing, it forces us to remember that we are not perfect; that we do make mistakes; that we are not the greatest thing the world has ever seen.

If we lack humility, the people around us will see it. When they see that we are too full of ourselves, that we are arrogant, it will turn them off. Not only will it turn them off, but they may even start “secretly” wishing that something bad will happen to us to take us down a few notches.

The Power Of Humility

On the other hand, if we allow humility in our lives; if we accept the fact that no matter how great we are, that we are not perfect; if we accept the fact that the rest of the world could live without us; then we gain an incredible power.  The power we gain by being humble is that of being respected by others.

When we are arrogant, it will turn off many people.  If we are humble, we will be able to attract the masses into our lives.  I’m not suggesting that you walk away from your abilities, your talents or your ideas.  Instead, I am suggesting that you use them to help others.

Arrogant people ram their talents, their abilities and their ideas down other people’s throats.  Humble people are able to encourage others to accept their talents, their abilities and their ideas and use them to work together.

In other words, do something because it is the right thing to do, NOT because of the recognition you might gain from it.  But, please do not misunderstand me.  There is nothing wrong with receiving recognition from your ideas.  There is nothing wrong with becoming rich from your ideas.  The only time it becomes wrong is when it crosses that fine line from humility to arrogance.  Then my friend, you have a problem.