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Holly3278
Guest
Hey everyone. What are some ways that I can become more humble?
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MichaelHowling
Guest
what kind of occupation do you have ?
The gift of humility is offered in our day to day workings and is easily practiced when we see Christ in everything we do. Humility is simply acknowledging who we are in respect to Gods position. If we can do all things with doing them out of love for Christ the best we can and offer over all our weaknesses, screw-ups and so forth out of love…we can speedily arrive at humility.
I work at a hospital as a nursing assistant. I have lots of friends that are nurses… when a nurse is sitting down and drinking a cup of coffee and “uses” me for some thankless little job…like, " can you go and fetch this or that " … something they could easily do since they are just relaxing… I take that moment as a time to serve Christ. I do it without complaint and for Jesus.
This seems small…but it’s a HUGE victory over my pride.
Also, taking time to visit Jesus in prayer especially the blessed sacrament regularly even when it’s inconvienient… we need to place him in the center and ALL our other cares come secondary. And when theres a time when we can’t leave our other cares to go to the blessed sacrament of have some private prayer…that’s ok! we simply put Jesus in the middle of that obligation in some way.
This again helps us see ourselves and our lives in relation to God and put things in proper order.
I then also suggest praying the litany of humility before bed or before work:
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (repeat after each line)
That others may be esteemed more than I ,
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it!
GOd bless
The gift of humility is offered in our day to day workings and is easily practiced when we see Christ in everything we do. Humility is simply acknowledging who we are in respect to Gods position. If we can do all things with doing them out of love for Christ the best we can and offer over all our weaknesses, screw-ups and so forth out of love…we can speedily arrive at humility.
I work at a hospital as a nursing assistant. I have lots of friends that are nurses… when a nurse is sitting down and drinking a cup of coffee and “uses” me for some thankless little job…like, " can you go and fetch this or that " … something they could easily do since they are just relaxing… I take that moment as a time to serve Christ. I do it without complaint and for Jesus.
This seems small…but it’s a HUGE victory over my pride.
Also, taking time to visit Jesus in prayer especially the blessed sacrament regularly even when it’s inconvienient… we need to place him in the center and ALL our other cares come secondary. And when theres a time when we can’t leave our other cares to go to the blessed sacrament of have some private prayer…that’s ok! we simply put Jesus in the middle of that obligation in some way.
This again helps us see ourselves and our lives in relation to God and put things in proper order.
I then also suggest praying the litany of humility before bed or before work:
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire of being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred to others,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being suspected,
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. (repeat after each line)
That others may be esteemed more than I ,
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it!
GOd bless
B
bsroufek
Guest
Often in the OT, when the Jews would “humble themselves” they would do penance. Fast, wear sackcloth, leave the comforts they were used to, tear their clothes (like King Josiah).
There are actually a good number of discomforts or penances you could do, like sleeping without a blanket/cover, wearing your least attractive clothes, turn your air conditioning off for a while, whatever.
I thus believe that penance is a key to growing in humility.
There are actually a good number of discomforts or penances you could do, like sleeping without a blanket/cover, wearing your least attractive clothes, turn your air conditioning off for a while, whatever.
I thus believe that penance is a key to growing in humility.
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nuntym
Guest
- JMJ +
They are the opposite sides of the same coin, actually. Humility tells us that we cannot do anything alone: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Magnanimity tells us that we are never alone: “And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
J
JimR-OCDS
Guest
First by detaching yourself from your ego.
The best way to begin is to learn to live in the present moment. For it is in the present, that the ego is the weakest.
The ego dwells on the past, and plans how it will feed itself in the future.
Of course, prayer is where we are with God, who only dwells in the now, because God is timeless.
Jim
The best way to begin is to learn to live in the present moment. For it is in the present, that the ego is the weakest.
The ego dwells on the past, and plans how it will feed itself in the future.
Of course, prayer is where we are with God, who only dwells in the now, because God is timeless.
Jim
C
Canuck000
Guest
I am an 30 year RN in a hospital setting. I have put up with a lot of abuse over the years from many patients and families. I humble myself by placing myself in their shoes. They are in an unfamiliar, scary situation. People react in all sorts of ways. I am their sounding board. I pray each morning before I begin, and thank God each night when I leave. I laugh with my patients, pray with my patients, cry with them. I thank God every day for allowing me to be in this profession. I thank my patients for allowing me to be a part of their lives.
I arrive to the floor at 6:30am and leave sometime after 8:30pm. I have only a very few hours to go home eat, sleep and shower and go back and do it again. It’s a privilege to serve. I don’t very often have time for a break, lunch or even use the bathroom during this 15 hour day. But when I leave at the end of the day, and my patients are well, and happy, I know I’ve served the Lord.
Michael…break? I wanna work where you work…joking aside, I, as an RN appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. Keep up the good work!!
I arrive to the floor at 6:30am and leave sometime after 8:30pm. I have only a very few hours to go home eat, sleep and shower and go back and do it again. It’s a privilege to serve. I don’t very often have time for a break, lunch or even use the bathroom during this 15 hour day. But when I leave at the end of the day, and my patients are well, and happy, I know I’ve served the Lord.
Michael…break? I wanna work where you work…joking aside, I, as an RN appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. Keep up the good work!!
M
MichaelHowling
Guest
lol thanks. Appreciate that.
I’m their favorite aid and everytime I work…they sometimes missuse me so they can get a little break (the other aids don’t work and the nurses end up overworked).
I’m their favorite aid and everytime I work…they sometimes missuse me so they can get a little break (the other aids don’t work and the nurses end up overworked).
R
RoseMary131
Guest
Working in the medical profession can be a bit humbling in itself. Serving others in areas that are not always pleasant can be very humbling…like Jesus washing the feet of his apostles.
I understand what Michael means about helping the nurses in areas he feels they are just “using” him. I’m sure the nurses appreciate all the work a nursing assistant provides them so they can do their nursing work.
However, this does not mean we should be a doormat. Christians are not called to be doormats or to be “used” by others. I’m sure this is not what Michael meant, but it could be confused to mean that.
Holly, part of being humble means to know where everything about you comes from - from God. No matter how poor or rich, talented, kind, smart, loving, etc… it is all gifts from God. Each person has special gifts about who they are - using those gifts and knowing they are from God is part of being humble.
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RoseMary131
Guest
Radiating Christ - by Cardinal John Henry Newman (1901-1990)
(Recited daily after Communion by Mother Teresa’s Sisters - the Missionaries of Charity)
Dear Jesus,
help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that my life may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with
may feel your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you; none of it will be mine.
It will be you, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise you in the way which you love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for you. Amen.
(Recited daily after Communion by Mother Teresa’s Sisters - the Missionaries of Charity)
Dear Jesus,
help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go.
Flood my soul with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that my life may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with
may feel your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you; none of it will be mine.
It will be you, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise you in the way which you love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for you. Amen.
M
Morwenna
Guest
Holly, if it helps … based on your posts over the years, I think you are one of the most humble people I’ve ever known. And I admire that a lot! 
So I’d say: keep on doing what you’re doing
So I’d say: keep on doing what you’re doing
C
ccmnxc
Guest
I’m looking forward to further responses in this thread, as pride is probably my biggest vice right now.
R
ready
Guest
Pray Card. Merry del Val’s “Litany of Humility” and really mean the words with all your heart. And whenever a humiliation comes your way, suffer it patiently and faithfully – you will grow more humble with every humiliation you faithfully endure. Esteem yourself with dignity as a child of God and heir to Heaven, as a member of His Mystical Body and as one made in HIs image and likeness; but consider yourself as mere dust, and as absolutely nothing without Our Good God. God bless you, Holly.
J
Jeanne1184
Guest
These are some quotes that have been helpful to me - and appreciate that this thread has caused me to do a check-up. 
Humility - He learned to know that he was equal to everyone else, no better or no less, simply equal.
It all comes down to: "Whom do I serve by doing this task? Ego or Spirit?”
Humility is perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble. --anonymous
–“True humility entails a degree of skepticism, i.e. the acknowledgment that one’s beliefs and commitments might possibly be mistaken, and hence a willingness to revise one’s positions in light of new evidence.”
The Power of Humility - Sri Chinmoy
First of all we need exactly to define what humility is. Because our ego often gives rise to excessive overpromotion, we feel that humility therefore involves the opposite extreme – publicly castigating ourselves and laying on excessive lashings of forced modesty. Yet the underlying feeling behind this kind of behaviour is insecurity and a desire to have others think better of us, and as such is just as much a manifestation of ego as excessive aggrandisement.
Humility is, quite simply, what happens when we go beyond the ego – a sincere and genuine self-appraisal, taking into account the entire being, all the faults and good points alike. As meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy points out “When you take a back seat consciously and deliberately in order to show others how humble you are, you are not being humble at all.
Humility connects us with the world. Humility removes us from ideas of inferiority and superiority and expands our vision to take others into account. When we are humble, we fell more connected to our fellow human beings, and we become more empathetic and loving. This kind of connection with the world gives us a sense of expansion and vastness, which is itself a great power.
Humility gives your words added power. Our ego often acts as an inflationary mechanism on our words, causing us to subconsciouly exaggerate statements, and over time, the weight of our statements will be lowered in the eyes of others. However, if our words come from a definite self-sincerity without any need to aggrandise ourselves in the process, then they will carry that ring of authenticity which will make people trust us more.
Humility brings detachment. Often with the ego, we get welded to an opinion or idea and it becomes part of our own self-conception. Hence when someone attacks it, it seems as if are somehow attacking us, and we respond accordingly. However, when we have true humility, we learn not to take these things too seriously. If someone attacks your idea, you can evaluate that criticism on its merits instead of feeling hurt and wounded. We can therefore stay calm in the midst of criticism and argument, and serenely chart the best course forward.
When you are humble, it is a sign you really have something to offer to the world. Often our ego acts because it tries to compensate for our shortcomings – hence the expression “empty vessels make the most noise”. However when you have this quality of humility, it allows you to bring what ever inner inspiration you have to the world in a very pure form, without the distortions caused by the ego’s aggrandisation.
Humility helps you evolve as a person. If you are proud, then when shortcomings are pointed out, you will more often not just end up getting bitter at the person who pointed them out and digging a nice little mental trench for yourself. However, a humble person accepts his shortcomings for what they are, and is then able to work on their transformation for his personal growth.
Putting good qualities in perspective. Often if we have a talent, we use it to mentally feel superior. If you find a good quality getting to your head, sincerely ask yourself if there is really no-one on earth more talented in that particular discipline than you: in 99% of cases there are thousands of people. This not only helps get rid of your vanity, it also helps you expand your awareness with the universe by considering all those people.
Use the word ‘serve’ instead of ‘help’: When we say we are helping someone we often feel a little superior to the person we are helping, that they somehow posess a defect we do not. Instead if we use the term ‘serve’, we recognise the full worth of the person we are serving, and we feel grateful for the opportunity.
Connect with a vaster part of ourselves. Often our ego is fed by insecurity, a feeling that the things we have could be taken away at any moment.
Humility - He learned to know that he was equal to everyone else, no better or no less, simply equal.
It all comes down to: "Whom do I serve by doing this task? Ego or Spirit?”
Humility is perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble. --anonymous
–“True humility entails a degree of skepticism, i.e. the acknowledgment that one’s beliefs and commitments might possibly be mistaken, and hence a willingness to revise one’s positions in light of new evidence.”
The Power of Humility - Sri Chinmoy
First of all we need exactly to define what humility is. Because our ego often gives rise to excessive overpromotion, we feel that humility therefore involves the opposite extreme – publicly castigating ourselves and laying on excessive lashings of forced modesty. Yet the underlying feeling behind this kind of behaviour is insecurity and a desire to have others think better of us, and as such is just as much a manifestation of ego as excessive aggrandisement.
Humility is, quite simply, what happens when we go beyond the ego – a sincere and genuine self-appraisal, taking into account the entire being, all the faults and good points alike. As meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy points out “When you take a back seat consciously and deliberately in order to show others how humble you are, you are not being humble at all.
Humility connects us with the world. Humility removes us from ideas of inferiority and superiority and expands our vision to take others into account. When we are humble, we fell more connected to our fellow human beings, and we become more empathetic and loving. This kind of connection with the world gives us a sense of expansion and vastness, which is itself a great power.
Humility gives your words added power. Our ego often acts as an inflationary mechanism on our words, causing us to subconsciouly exaggerate statements, and over time, the weight of our statements will be lowered in the eyes of others. However, if our words come from a definite self-sincerity without any need to aggrandise ourselves in the process, then they will carry that ring of authenticity which will make people trust us more.
Humility brings detachment. Often with the ego, we get welded to an opinion or idea and it becomes part of our own self-conception. Hence when someone attacks it, it seems as if are somehow attacking us, and we respond accordingly. However, when we have true humility, we learn not to take these things too seriously. If someone attacks your idea, you can evaluate that criticism on its merits instead of feeling hurt and wounded. We can therefore stay calm in the midst of criticism and argument, and serenely chart the best course forward.
When you are humble, it is a sign you really have something to offer to the world. Often our ego acts because it tries to compensate for our shortcomings – hence the expression “empty vessels make the most noise”. However when you have this quality of humility, it allows you to bring what ever inner inspiration you have to the world in a very pure form, without the distortions caused by the ego’s aggrandisation.
Humility helps you evolve as a person. If you are proud, then when shortcomings are pointed out, you will more often not just end up getting bitter at the person who pointed them out and digging a nice little mental trench for yourself. However, a humble person accepts his shortcomings for what they are, and is then able to work on their transformation for his personal growth.
Putting good qualities in perspective. Often if we have a talent, we use it to mentally feel superior. If you find a good quality getting to your head, sincerely ask yourself if there is really no-one on earth more talented in that particular discipline than you: in 99% of cases there are thousands of people. This not only helps get rid of your vanity, it also helps you expand your awareness with the universe by considering all those people.
Use the word ‘serve’ instead of ‘help’: When we say we are helping someone we often feel a little superior to the person we are helping, that they somehow posess a defect we do not. Instead if we use the term ‘serve’, we recognise the full worth of the person we are serving, and we feel grateful for the opportunity.
Connect with a vaster part of ourselves. Often our ego is fed by insecurity, a feeling that the things we have could be taken away at any moment.
N
NEPA_Rosaries
Guest
St. Francis once said, “I am what I am before God, and nothing more.”
The virtue of humility rests in developing the habit of putting all things in perspective, to recognize and understand truth. Seek first to understand God’s will in your life, and follow. The essence of humility is truth, and the truly humble seek it unceasingly.
The virtue of humility rests in developing the habit of putting all things in perspective, to recognize and understand truth. Seek first to understand God’s will in your life, and follow. The essence of humility is truth, and the truly humble seek it unceasingly.
- Status