Believe It

Im sure youve encountered arrogant , conceited people in your life. Do you remember how they made you feel? Probably not very good, and its doubtful that you were looking forward to running into them again. On the opposite end of the spectrum, humility is pleasing to others. You can never offend anyone by being modest. In addition, maintaining a humble attitude keeps you from having an exaggerated opinion of yourself. It shields you from becoming prideful and keeps you focused on others rather than concentrating on yourself and your abilities .

The first time I spoke in front of my peers at a National Speakers Association conference, I really wanted to impress them. I believed that everyone there had more experience and possessed better speaking skills than I did. In an effort to wow everyone, I operated out of my own self-interest rather than focusing on the needs of my audience. I prepared a speech that I hoped would knock their socks off, forgetting that if you work too hard to make an impression , you set yourself up for ridicule. But despite my error, the warm response and acceptance of my contemporaries humbled me. From then on, I made a decision to always consider my audience and keep my ego out of the way. That experience taught me how to be modest. And I now realize that humility has made me a much better speaker and a much better man.