What do you do to practice humility?

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I realize this is sort of a strange request and I hope it makes sense when I finish…But, I am wondering what to do to build character traits such as humility in myself. I am asking because of a situation at work where I realized that I was being very prideful. I want to change that, but since I was not brought up with any religion (I have only been Catholic for a year.) I am not exactly sure how to go about it. I was raised by my single father who never taught me any of these things. (I know that sounds strange, but it’s true.) So, long story longer…I am looking for specific things I can do, places to go, people to see, books to read, scriptures to study, etc… that will help me to build humility in myself.

PS: Do you think admitting to all of you that I am prideful shows humility? LOL Just kidding…😉
 
A few suggestions:

  1. *]Pray for humility. The Litany of Humility on this website ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm is a good place to start.
    *]Make frequent acts of humility throughout the day (brief prayers acknowledging that without God you are nothing, and everything you are comes from Him).
    *]Make an effort to accept the humiliations that come your way in daily life. For example, when someone criticizes you, resist the urge to get defensive or to return criticism.
    *]Make a particular examination of conscience toward the end of each day, asking yourself in what ways you have acted with pride or humility. Make a very specific resolution for the next day: “I will be humble tomorrow” is too general, “I will not brag about my accomplishments at work tomorrow” is better (more practical). Then use this resolution as the basis for your particular examination of conscience tomorrow. Work on the same specific fault until you have it under control, then move on to another.
    *]Meditate on the humility of Jesus: how He, though God, was born in poverty, accepted the ridicule of His opponents in silence, washed the feet of His apostles, etc.

    Pride is a tough vice to overcome. We do it by praying for it and by practicing the opposing virtue (humility).

    God bless your efforts!
 
Kera said:
I realize this is sort of a strange request and I hope it makes sense when I finish…But, I am wondering what to do to build character traits such as humility in myself. I am asking because of a situation at work where I realized that I was being very prideful. I want to change that, but since I was not brought up with any religion (I have only been Catholic for a year.) I am not exactly sure how to go about it. I was raised by my single father who never taught me any of these things. (I know that sounds strange, but it’s true.) So, long story longer…I am looking for specific things I can do, places to go, people to see, books to read, scriptures to study, etc… that will help me to build humility in myself.

PS: Do you think admitting to all of you that I am prideful shows humility? LOL Just kidding…😉
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Sincere prayers for a virtue like humility will not go unanswered. You’'ll probably see the changes in hindsight but it’s my belief that God loves to hear that kind of prayer.

"This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections."
– Saint Augustine
 
Little steps: giving up my seat on the Metro or the bus, following the rubrics and kneeling after receiving the Host after I receive it while others stare (yes, I am not being prideful here, the looks I get are enough to make me blush each and every time).

Every time I pull my rosary out of my pocket and keep it hidden in one hand while I pray the beads with the other is an example of humility. I pray it often, without others to know. I don’t fling out the beads and say, “Lookit me! I’m praying! Woo! I’m so holy!”

I don’t sit near the front of the Church. I meditate on the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican a lot during Adoration.

Another act of humility is when I’m driving. I say a prayer for the person who cut me off, instead of cussing them out. I try to maintain a safe speed and distance – basically, trying to follow the rules.
 
You certainly put a lot of heart into it, dear Miserissima! What a dear, humble, devout soul you are…and you reveal a number of loving acts of humility, which are also acts of love. 🙂 You’d be thoroughly scandalized by me 😃 because I do sit up really close to tabernacle and altar…in the very front seat to the side. You know why! If I could see Jesus instead of just knowing He’s there, I couldn’t bear to be anywhere but as near as possible to Him. So I’m as near as possible. I know God is everywhere but there you are.

Dear Kera,
Humility isn’t hard work, because there is always something happening in our lives to make us see our limitations and our failures. Humility is accepting these without allowing them to plunge us into sadness, because humility is honestly accepting ourselves for all the wonderful things we are, and accepting ourselves for all the things we don’t and maybe even can’t do right or well.
Humility is knowing sincerely and honestly that God loves ‘me’ and that all that is good in ‘my life’ and all good that ‘I’ do is due to God’s gifts or my use of them, and due to to the action of the Spirit of God in me.

Doctor of the Church, Saint Therese of Lisieux elucidates how to live as child before God. “The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to always remain very little” “‘Remaining little’ means—to recognise ones nothingness, to await everything from the goodness of God, to avoid being much troubled at our faults; finally, not to be worried about amassing spiritual riches.”
“You want to climb the mountain, whereas God wishes you to descend it. He is awaiting you in the valley of humility.” “It seems to me that humility is truth.”

I hope these thoughts also help. God bless, Trishie

Oh, and Kera, it would be amazing if many of us are without pride of some sort…🙂 another cause for quiet self-knowledge that is part of humility!
 
fhansen said:
Sincere prayers for a virtue like humility will not go unanswered. You’'ll probably see the changes in hindsight but it’s my belief that God loves to hear that kind of prayer.

**“This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.” **
– Saint Augustine
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…👍 …
 
Just a thought to share – remember God sometimes answers our prayers in ways we don’t like. 🙂
A few years ago I made a decision to pray in earnest for patience. I was so lacking in it. Once I began to pray for this virtue, God seemed relentless – I had one trial after another after another. I’ll never be perfectly patient, but after so many opportunities to learn I’m much better.

As for working on humility, my suggestions are to exhale and pray … look for the good in others, forgive them, and try not to prove to them how wrong they are. It’s a lifelong effort, but when we’re working with God’s graces, potential humiliation (hurtful pride) is replaced with his love and peace.
 
quiet52 said:
Just a thought to share – remember God sometimes answers our prayers in ways we don’t like. 🙂
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Oh about one to two months ago now, I sincerly prayed asking
God to show me how to be humble. Embarrassing things kept
happening all week long! I asked God, Does being humble mean
being embarrassed all the time?! Or maybe it means you are
not embarrassed, even if embarrassing things happen… Anyway,
I asked Him to please go a little slower with me…and He did.:o
 
You can only build humility by being humble, as much as possible. It’s extremely difficult. For myself, I didn’t realize how large my ego really was until I had to deal with someone who also had a lot of pride.

It was a humbling moment when I realized that the reason I didn’t like him was because our two egos could not fit into the same room together. I had to let go of my ego, so that his could have room to fit. :rolleyes:

To be humble is to be someone who can acknowledge the truth of a situation without taking it personally, or without it being understood as a reflection, whether good or bad, on the self.

It’s when you can cheer for someone who wins the prize that you wanted, without feeling jealous.
 
Speak less. Listen more. Assume the other person is right. Leave your jokes and clever comments unsaid occasionally. Make a sincere daily examination of conscience. Confess regularly. Don’t defend yourself if falsely accused in minor matters.

Betsy
 
attempt teaching CCD to ninth graders

nothing except dealing with your own teens can make you feel dumber than this, come face to face with your own ignorance and inadequacy.
 
puzzleannie said:
attempt teaching CCD to ninth graders

nothing except dealing with your own teens can make you feel dumber than this, come face to face with your own ignorance and inadequacy.
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Ahhh I know what you mean. Many years ago pre my illness, our pp asked me if I would fill in for the usual CCD teacher in a senior state school. I came away totally with a red face and egg all over it vowing never to do it again. Father just laughed a knowing laugh and totally at me with my red egg covered face.😃
Methinks if you persevere in your calling, PA, it shall make a saint of you!!!👍
 
Kera said:
I am looking for specific things I can do, places to go, people to see, books to read, scriptures to study, etc… that will help me to build humility in myself.
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  • For places to go: I’d say the Nursing Home. Those elderly can give you a hint of your future. How powerful, rich, smart, strong, fast one used to be, when he becomes older, he will become like a child again relying on others.
 
cheeto1 said:
I asked God, Does being humble mean
being embarrassed all the time?! Or maybe it means you are
not embarrassed, even if embarrassing things happen.
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How do we learn not to be so embarrassed by embarrassing things or by our failings?

Also, how do I remove the following problem of mine, and is it a problem…?

Say I am tempted to do a sin, but then I don’t do it, not just because I don’t want to offend God, but probably more because I’d be too humiliated to stoop so low.
 
Luke 17: 7-10 is a good passage to reflect on, and since Jesus said it, it definitely puts me in my place:

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.c] 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
 
SarahR said:
Luke 17: 7-10 is a good passage to reflect on, and since Jesus said it, it definitely puts me in my place:

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.c] 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
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…👍 …
We can make all the efforts we choose and however we choose and only doing our duty, but always it is The Lord who grants any success and His the Glory, His the praise if there should happen to be any success at all small or great.
 
Dearest Trishie - I don’t want this to sound like false humility, though it will. If you and I were in conversation over coffee, I would shrug my shoulders and send you off to a priest or spiritual director. But behind the anonimity of the computer screen, I can definately say a lot. I’m so far from being a holy soul.

It’s just that I think humility is to give up one’s will to the Lord’s instruction through His representatives, asking “why” only to understand, but not to taunt or cause an argument. Humility is obedience to act without any begrudging thoughts on your part – and in that, I am SO FAR from being humble you’d be almost scandalized!

Baltobetsy - what you say reminds me of a lot of books I have read about different orders of nuns, even particular nuns who had given up or “grew out” to a different calling of their vocations. Sounds like a lot of the material I’ve read, too, and it’s sound advice.

I was never as good as that – to not correct others, no matter how much they outranked me. It was more or less a “gentle” correction, but I felt it was my responsibility to give them the right info. Perhaps that’s why I"m more of a Teresa of Avila follower than a Therese of Lisieux followe - I talk back, caustically, and am praying for patience to hold my tongue.
Trishie said:
You certainly put a lot of heart into it, dear Miserissima! What a dear, humble, devout soul you are…and you reveal a number of loving acts of humility, which are also acts of love. 🙂 You’d be thoroughly scandalized by me 😃 because I do sit up really close to tabernacle and altar…in the very front seat to the side. You know why! If I could see Jesus instead of just knowing He’s there, I couldn’t bear to be anywhere but as near as possible to Him. So I’m as near as possible. I know God is everywhere but there you are.

Dear Kera,
Humility isn’t hard work, because there is always something happening in our lives to make us see our limitations and our failures. Humility is accepting these without allowing them to plunge us into sadness, because humility is honestly accepting ourselves for all the wonderful things we are, and accepting ourselves for all the things we don’t and maybe even can’t do right or well.
Humility is knowing sincerely and honestly that God loves ‘me’ and that all that is good in ‘my life’ and all good that ‘I’ do is due to God’s gifts or my use of them, and due to to the action of the Spirit of God in me.

Doctor of the Church, Saint Therese of Lisieux elucidates how to live as child before God. “The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to always remain very little” “‘Remaining little’ means—to recognise ones nothingness, to await everything from the goodness of God, to avoid being much troubled at our faults; finally, not to be worried about amassing spiritual riches.”
“You want to climb the mountain, whereas God wishes you to descend it. He is awaiting you in the valley of humility.” “It seems to me that humility is truth.”

I hope these thoughts also help. God bless, Trishie

Oh, and Kera, it would be amazing if many of us are without pride of some sort…🙂 another cause for quiet self-knowledge that is part of humility!
Click to expand...
 
What do I do to practice humility? Probably the simplest most ordinary thing I walk out my door. Being a foreigner is very humbling for me. Aside from that I go to confession every month or two.
 
I sometimes get humiliated by others…does that qualify?😃

In all seriousness, I would suggest that gains in humility can come from a willingness to “listen” to others and always being willing and quick to apologize.
 
Quoting Pax:
I sometimes get humiliated by others…does that qualify?😃
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It qualifies! Depending of course on how one accepts humiliation and the one who has humiliated.
In all seriousness, I would suggest that gains in humility can come from a willingness to “listen” to others and always being willing and quick to apologize.
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It qualifies too!

Blessings and regards…from one still striving hard to qualify!
 
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