Lists I’ve found are a great way to explore a topic, generate some interest in a subject and provide enough variety that it is not only quick to read, but quick to relate to many aspects.  All this while hopefully adding some value to what is read in new ideas, unheard suggestions or simply by giving reminders of what might be known dead inside you already.  I certainly find that in reading lists from other people.

This was my most difficult list I’ve made and while I was hoping to make a list of 100 ways to be more humble, I really struggled coming up with unique ideas that didn’t have too much overlap and were not just a large list of different words or minor actions to be more humble.  I hope you will find some value in this list, it has certainly given me a lot to think about, a lot to still learn in being humble and an eye opener to realize how far from this I actually am.  While I hope many of these are true in my life I know they are a continuous struggle and I’m sure others can relate or add even more ideas to the list, which I would love to see in your comments!

Please have a look at my short series from 2 years ago on being humble in the article pages here or from the free PDF download in my resources area, called, Being Humble.

1. Use the response “It’s My Pleasure” when someone thanks you for doing something.
2. Use the response “I’d be honored” when someone asks you to help them or do something with them.
3. Listen more than you talk
4. Count to 3 before adding to a conversation to ensure the other person is done
5. Be willing to follow another person in conversation even if you don’t get to talk about your idea
6. Always offer to improve someone else’s idea and give them credit
7. Give credit for other’s ideas that you are carrying through on
8. Ask others for the opinion of others
9. Ask others to join conversations and contribute


Artwork by Adam Stone

10. It’s OK to be wrong and so admit it
11. Admit when you don’t understand or know something
12. Appreciate others who learn something quickly and say so
13. Be quick to apologize when you do something wrong
14. Study moral principles
15. Use moral principles to guide you
16. You are God’s creation, not your own
17. Recognize your talents as gifts, not your own ability
18. Know how your skills have only be developed by the help of others
19. Share your own knowledge to pass on what you have learned
20. Pass on thanks when you receive it to those who helped you achieve what was thanked
21. Value other people’s time as much as your own
22. Never equate time spent with people to a dollar value
23. Don’t boast about your achievements, let others recognize them instead
24. Keep your goals to yourself
25. Help other people with their goals
26. Realize the potential in others
27. Know that timing is everything and everyone excels at different times in life
28. Being the 1st follower is often the best way to lead
29. Since winning isn’t everything, you don’t have to win
30. Recognize that you have faults
31. Remember you are a sinner (in other words, you are no better or worse than anyone else)
32. Ignore first impressions of people
33. Give others the benefit of the doubt
34. Provide positive and encouraging feedback instead of criticism
35. Make a choice to act more humbly
36. Practice at least one humble act each day
37. Be grateful for successes without boasting about them
38. Know how to accept praise with a simple thank you, don’t elaborate on it or talk more about it
39. Recognize the individualism of others and yourself, there is no need to conform
40. Share your core values and live them accordingly regardless of the circumstances
41. Prioritize things in your life and rate your actions on whether to followed that priority or not
42. Rate other people as first, be less significant
43. Forgive those who wrong you and move on without revenge or lashing back
44. Serve others and not yourself first
45. Seek wisdom, which is knowledge of what is true coupled with just judgment of action
46. Recognize and know that you know little and there is always more to learn
47. Avoid explosive reactions, and subside any aggression
48. Accept new ideas and change, not being stuck on what you knew before
49. Teach all that you can for the benefit of others
50. Learn from and model the life of the most humble teachers in history (Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Buddha, etc)

Posted by Mike King under Success | 70 Comments »

I’m happy to have another great guest post today on the obviously timely topic of revamped resolutions.  This guest post is by Maxine Dee who first contacted me after a recent article about small things that make a big impact to others.

Part of her original contact was the following: “I was greatly touched by Unnoticed Significance which was such an incredible reminder of the power that every human being possesses and the simplicity of putting it to work. The innate gratefulness that Jim had for what he was blessed with also resonated with me and I was actually writing to suggest a guest post about how your simple story has inspired me to transform a yearly tradition.”

Maxine made several other comments about how seeking resolutions that are focused on contributing to the lives of other people instead of ourselves is a great way to ensure we actually accomplish our resolutions and that they are worth pursuing through the entire year.  I couldn’t agree more and so I’m happy to have her article on this subject.

More often than not, our busy lifestyles reduce our commitments to things that are convenient.

Although much of life is about the small things, it also means being part of something bigger than we are. For me, this ‘something bigger’ is how my decisions and actions have a ripple effect on the world. This year I’m revamping my resolutions with the idea that small actions based in good will positively impact someone else’s life – and that feels very good to me! With that in mind, here are a couple of things you can do to make a lasting impression on those in need, and hopefully bring about a new state of awareness for yourself too:

January - Purchase more fair trade goods for daily use.

Fair Trade involves providing sustainable economic solutions for developing countries by placing a fair price on goods exported to developed countries. Most of these fair trade companies have a mission – to improve the lives of those who create their products. Companies like Gianna Fair Trade and People Tree empower individuals to become self-sufficient. Consumers in developed countries that purchase these fair trade goods pay slightly above market, but in many cases the price is still comparable to something mass-produced and the quality is the same. Fair trade helps small businesses to thrive and stimulates the income of these developing countries.

February - Donate blood and save a life.

Blood and blood products are vital necessities in hospitals and other health institutions. When blood is in high demand, many individuals have to go without – this could spell the difference between life and death. By volunteering to provide blood and blood products, you are potentially saving a life. Get screened as a donor or participate in local blood drives; either way, you are providing a great service.

March - Participate in tree planting projects for a better environment.

Deforestation has largely depleted our natural forests. Trees are part of a fragile ecosystem that allows humanity to grow and thrive as a species. This year, you can pledge yourself to future generations by engaging in tree planting drives organized by your local community or other environmental organizations. Every tree you plant ensures a better place to live in for yourself and your children.

April - Volunteer for feeding programs.

Food is one of our most basic and most essential necessities. It is sad indeed that many people are without it. This year you can help the hungry by volunteering at nearby soup kitchens, hosting a fundraiser, or by donating money or non-perishable food items. By giving others access to the simplest of needs, you can help them get back on their feet and get on their way to living a better life.

May - Use Organic products and save Mother Earth.

The use of organic products has been gaining huge momentum, and its usage spans generations. There are many organic and/or environmentally friendly alternatives for many of  today’s necessities, from shampoo to garbage bags. By using products derived from organic sources, you can help lessen the biological waste burden generated by non-biodegradable materials. Organic products easily degrade when disposed of, unlike their non-biodegradable counterparts. When shopping, check the packaging of the products you buy and if possible search for organic alternatives.

June - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

If you aren’t yet doing all you can to involve yourself in recycling, now’s the time to do so. Check local resources to ensure that you’re recycling what your town waste management accepts, and separate accordingly. Another tip is to reuse products, such as cardboard and paper, to alleviate the burden on our forest population. You can help make the world a better place for everyone.

July - Assist charities.

Getting involved on a regular basis with a charity is satisfying for many people. There are many opportunities within charities, and many are driven by their volunteer force. Choose one that is close to your heart or utilizes one of your talents. Carpenters are desired by charitable organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity. There are other ways to support charities, usually by word of mouth and purchasing products whose proceeds go to the charity. For example, Trekstock, a hip English charity that raises funds for Teenage Cancer Trust, has a wild website that caters to rock and rollers and their style. Trekstock puts on shows in the UK, but anyone, anywhere can purchase their t-shirts, bags, and ephemera created by some very cool designers. Pick a charity that speaks to you and donate your time, money, or energy in any way that you see fit.

August - Go on a volunteer vacation.

Instead of taking in the sights, why not offer to help your fellow man? Some states and countries offer a variety of outreach projects that get you involved with the local residents. Not only do you immerse yourself in a different culture but you also help others maintain their livelihoods.

September - Help the elderly.

Our elderly population is often neglected in American communities. By volunteering to accomplish little tasks for them, you can provide great help and, at the same time, learn something new and interesting by listening to their stories.

October - Donate your clothes to charity.

This month, take stock of everything you have and everything you can live without. Providing others with shoes and clothing will truly warm your heart and make a difference.

November - Keep your community clean.

Start where you live and participate in clean-up drives to beautify your community. Involving your family in such activities as harvesting a local community garden or cleaning hiking trails, teaches future generations the importance of doing something good for their community.

December - Raise your awareness.

Get yourself ready for next year’s resolutions by researching worthy causes online. Ask friends and neighbors about their favorite charities and causes.

With the year almost over, it’s time to stop and take stock of all that’s happened. For most of us, it’s time to list those New Year’s Resolutions. Some folks will have their resolutions all mapped out, while for others will take their time thinking about what to do to make the coming year more worthwhile. Here’s some food for thought: Why not make resolutions that last?

Maxine is a dedicated mother who works to instill in her children the ideas of giving, charity and frugality so they have a solid foundation for their future. When not with her family, she works for Treetopia, a seller of artificial Christmas trees. The Christmas tree sale this holiday season was particularly busy but a great reminder for her of the need to balance work and family.

Maxine is a dedicated mother who works to instill in her children the ideas of giving, charity and frugality so they have a solid foundation for their future. When not with her family, she works for Treetopia, a seller of artificial Christmas trees. The Christmas tree sale this holiday season was particularly busy but a great reminder for her of the need to balance work and family.

Posted by Mike King under Success | 2 Comments »

Note: This is a guest post by Art Gould, a division manager with Self Storage Company, details below…

I’ve never been much of a neat freak. This is the standard line I used to give people who would walk into my office for the first time and find it hard to disguise a look on their face that could be described as a mixed proportion of shock, amusement, and disgust. I’ve found that understatement is always a cool way of stating the obvious with all the rough edges smoothed over. My friends and co-workers have forever been telling me how much more I could get done if I only took some time to straighten out my clutter and at least try to create an appearance of organization in my life. So a few weeks ago, I decided to bite the bullet and do something about it.

Being the type of person who tends to commit totally to things, I decided to leave no stone unturned in my mission to self-organize. I read books about it. I watched DVDs. I invested in new file cabinets, new folders, and new software. For the first time in years, I cleaned my desk completely. As I peeled layer upon layer of paperwork off my desktop, I began to flush out items buried deep within the rubble; items that I had long ago given up for lost. Receptacles became my best friends. I filed everything that needed filing, catalogued everything that needed cataloguing, sorted everything that needed sorting, and arranged everything that needed arranging.

By the time I was done, I looked around and admired my new surroundings with a feeling of utter satisfaction and a deep sense of accomplishment. My new office and my new organized self were now realities. But very soon thereafter the realization hit me that I was now a week behind in everything I was supposed to have been doing. I had become so consumed with my organizing crusade that I had not spoken to anyone in over a week. My list of calls to return was very neat, very organized, and also very long! My projects were all neatly stacked in their own bins and folders but I had not been working on any of them. People who stopped by and complimented me on my nice clean desk also complemented me on being all caught up with my work. I gave them a weak smile and didn’t dare tell them how wrong they were. I wound up spending that weekend, plus a few days thereafter, working long dogged hours, trying to make up for time lost while I was on my organizing binge.

After I finally got caught up, I began to sense a new problem. My new desk was beginning to take on the characteristics of a shrine. I dared not do anything that might alter the pristine image that had made such a profound impression on me once I had finally cleaned it. My obsession with keeping it immaculate soon became an additional task added to my already long list of tasks. Except unlike the other ones, this project didn’t have a neat shelf life to it. I could never say that it was finished or completed, or that it was time to move on to the next one. Instead, it became the 800-pound gorilla in the room; always there, lurking in the background, even when I tried to ignore it.

I started thinking: is there such a thing as being too organized? Is it possible that maybe a tiny bit of chaos, mixed in with all the neatness and efficiency, might actually be a good thing? So I made a decision to politely usher the gorilla out of the room and get back to being my old productive self. I didn’t let it bother me at all if my desk became something other than sterile. I even let it get to the point where it could accurately be described as slightly (but no longer overly!) messy. Don’t get me wrong, I am no longer the slob I once was. I recognize the value of structure and embrace the concept of a streamlined approach yielding benefits in terms of productivity and efficiency. I also realized that striking the right balance is the key! Now I am organized but no longer obsessed with it. I allow a little chaos into my environment but I try to maintain it.

In case you are wondering if you have hit the point where your organization is offering diminishing marginal returns, here are a few indicators to keep watch for!

SIGNS YOU ARE TOO ORGANIZED:

1. When you buy so many storage bins to store and compartmentalize your items that you no longer have enough space for the bins in your office.
2. When most of the folders in your file cabinet have only one sheet of paper in them.
3. When you spend 45 minutes trying to decide whether to file an article about Madden 2010 in the sports folder or the software folder.
4. When you start spending an inordinate amount of time neatly sorting and filing your junk mail.
5. When you spend so much time and energy mapping out the next leg of your vacation that you completely miss out on what is going on around you during the current part of it.
6. When you ask your friends to wait a few minutes before going out to eat because you just noticed that some of the books on your bookshelf are out of alphabetical order.
7. When you file everything logically and neatly—-and then find you are no longer able to locate anything you need.
8. When you spend more time making lists of what to do than doing what is on them.

Art Gould is a division manager with Self Storage Company, which operates a group of websites, including a Texas self storage locator. He travels a lot for business related to centers from Texas to the Illinois self storage site. As a result, Art has a strong interest in productivity, organization, working on the road, balancing work and home life, and reducing stress.

Posted by Mike King under Success | 3 Comments »

This is a guest post I received by Matt Schmoldt, one of my readers here at LearnThis.ca.  Matt’s article adds an interesting perspective to how we seek success.  I love the topic of success and just want to restate my own definition of success to focus the topic on what matters most in success, HOW we see success.  My definition of success is consistently living with purpose.  With that, here is Matt’s article, I hope you enjoy it!

“Everyday I take a break from my work when I get to the point of being tired of what I am doing, and I usually go play basketball. The breaks that I enjoy the most are when I am alone on the court. Uninterrupted. I shoot, shot after shot. I enjoy trying to perfect my shot. I have an inner desire to become gifted. I have come to the point where I know what I need to do to consistently make shots, but I just don’t consistently do what I need to do.

The rim lets me know how I am doing. I love having it’s instant feed back. The loud clang of the rim challenges me to become better, and the soft swish of the net rewards me. But today, I realized that the rim’s instant feed back is unnecessary.  I realized that I already knew if the shot was off course even before it hits the rim. I know by how I feel during the shot. I know if it is too short, or sailing wide left and I know if the shot is perfectly on track.  I realized that I was concentrating on the result and not on how I felt during the shot. I was fixed on making my next shot (the destination of the ball), but not on how I should feel during the shot (the journey).

When I let go of my fixation on making shots and instead focused on how I felt during the shots, an amazing thing happened. I made way more shots. Why? I got rid of my self imposed pressure on the result, and became free to follow how I felt during the journey. I didn’t care if I made or missed a shot; I only cared if I was focused on feeling what I knew I should be feeling during the shot.

Our lives are the same way. We want to succeed so badly that we become fixated on succeeding. Our every thought and desire is to succeed in whatever thing it is. Sometimes we want to succeed badly enough that we do things against our conscience and better judgment. You see this happening in our schools. Students want to pass a class without putting in the work, so they turn to cheating, and when they aren’t caught, they continue cheating. The world has recently seen what this pattern of cheating leads to in the likes of Bernard Madoff and Allen Stanford. They wanted to succeed so badly in their financial businesses, that they lied and cheated for decades. They took their new investor’s money and gave it to their old investors, pretending that this money came from legitimate investments. They let their fixation on succeeding rule their actions and look what it brought. It brought devastation to thousands of honest people who invested in their lies. It brought families heartache and devastation.

In the words of Joshua Marcus Manuel, “It hurts to look at yourself in the mirror and hate yourself, look into the mirror and wonder what ever happened to that smile that used to shine so bright. When you look at yourself, you see this version of “you” that your mind has created, someone that has become so distant and cold that nobody wants to be around. Empty eyes. Fragile bones. The only thing you have left are the lies you tell yourself everyday to survive, lies that have become your painful reality, lies that will swallow you whole and crush your insides, lies that have turned you into someone you never wanted to be.”

Let go. Let go of those fixations that are preventing you from living a successful life. The way to success and happiness comes from letting go and following your heart, from being in harmony with yourself. Look at what this did for Mother Teresa. For over 45 years, she ministered to the poor and the sick. She lead 610 missions in 123 countries for people with AIDS, leprosy and other illnesses. She dedicated her life to being in harmony with her conscience; she was her best self.

What things do you need to let go of?  Let go of them.
What things does your heart ache to achieve?

Achieve those things of your heart and live a life of honest success in harmony and happiness. Remember, “It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.” (Mark Twain) and “A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.” (Thomas Carlyle)”

About The Author: Matt currently attends Utah State University in Logan and is studying marketing. He loves life, his family, his heaven, and his sports (golf & basketball). He also runs a necktie website on the side which teaches people how to tie a tie.

Posted by Mike King under Success | 3 Comments »

Isn’t it true that results we achieve that come about by surprise bring a greater sense of satisfaction than results that take huge effort to achieve?  It certainly is for me.  In contrast, the results I get that take weeks or months of effort always seem to be more of a relief than an achievement should feel.

Building Up to Success

Often I feel that personal development can be one of those areas where you have a long time building up to success.  Change takes effort and making changes often comes at a price of long term dedication to tirelessly keep working away to change habits and to bring about change.  Not only a single change at a time, but in fact, many many changes combined can have the same effect of adding up to be a long term effort. For me there is certainly a combination at work with this type of experience as on one hand, my persistence to change I know will overcome whatever obstacles I face and on the other it can be disappointing when it takes as long as it does.  This certainty in achievement is a great confidence to build up and helps you tackle all of those unknown situations and obstacles.  Building that kind of confidence only occurs through repeated successes over time and having the ability to recognize achievement and be grateful for it.  After all, if you don’t know what success looks like along the way, then you certainly can’t build those successes up into self confidence.  Success and confidence can become a repeating cycle and what I’ve found is that it can actually become an insignificant event when achieving that success becomes expected simply due to your persistence. This kind of drawn out achievement being expected by a person eventually seems quite meaningless and in fact, it becomes the normal way of building up to success.

Achieving It!

So with all this building up to success there comes the point where you actually achieve what you were after.  If it was a long drawn out process this point may feel more like a relief than anything.  The work associated with this achievement could be gone now and that might be similar to having a chore or some other painful tasks gone forever.  However, the achievements that seem to feel the best and give you the biggest ‘high’ are the ones that come suddenly or unexpectedly.  There is no time passed to destroy your pleasure with an associated heavy workload and so the gratification that exists can be so much higher!  I know that any achievements that come my way out of surprise are often an opportunity to discover something new about myself where I am shocked to learn of some new skill or impact I had to help me achieve it.  It’s a joy to learn of these things and exciting to know that sometimes there is a great achievement just around the corner we don’t expect!

Posted by Mike King under Success | 11 Comments »

This article is a short story of the struggle that life can present and how it aligns with personal development.

A young man that had grown up with taking on new things developed a real love for adventure and uniqueness.  He was always comfortable doing things that others dare not do.  Some of these things were in regular activities like hobbies, sports and school.  School was easy since the teachers told him everything he needed and quickly realized that if he actually paid attention the content was easy to digest and understand.  This was especially true, as he was a audible learner so quickly picked up on the classroom teachings.  Sure, he had some learning talent and inspiration to start well in school but this become a much larger cascade effect.  In his case, school became easier and easier and it only continued to build his confidence and learning skills.  Doing well in school and learning quickly was his first obvious experience with going against the grain.  Others struggled to learn and had a hard time in school and that seemed to be the general theme for the masses.  This independent style he had in learning added more to his confidence and he continued to develop a sense of self that didn’t fit into the mass mentality.

In going against the grain and knowing he could learn quickly, he also challenged himself to develop that skill in new uncommon sports, hobbies and skills.  Each of these presented a challenge to overcome and he developed an internal motivation to tackle any challenge head on and with full force to quickly overcome it and move past it.  Years went by mastering this skill and going against the grain of society’s seemingly normal outlook that life is bleak and tough.  He would have no part of that however, every challenge was welcomed and he continually overcame adversity with hard work, dedication and that massive motivation that was built up inside him to grow and conquer whatever he faced.  All this made him feel even more confident and satisfied by experiencing many successes in life through achievement.  He chased more and more achievements and as years started to pass, realized that the achievements were leaving him less and less content and that success had to be more than this.  He started to know that success was more than this but never realized what he was missing or what he was needing in order to have that.  For a some time, the confidence he had built up inside surfaced as arrogance and egotism which quickly impacted his influence on others and success was not something he could grasp when it came to his influence with others or even with himself.  Influence with himself is really one’s ability to change them self and grow.

Finally with the support of close friends, a deep spiritual journey and a number of significant events and training courses, he was fortunately enough to face the bitter truth which would reveal to him that his confidence had been shielding him from seeing what was really important in his life.  In fact, he had so much to discover about himself that he literally felt like a different person.  He changed drastically and stepped away from directly chasing success and started applying his learning skills to learning more about his influence on others and how to interact, work with and to connect with others at a deeper level.  It wasn’t until he was able to get past the confidence shield that self-discovery was even available to him.

So, with having a new appreciation for no limits learning, it became a much more valuable area in life and the realization that the best things to learn and experience are only available when he gets past his own limits, whether they are known or not.  Often the limiting beliefs are unknown without stepping out of the common safety box we live in and seek out adversity, challenges and all the other skinny branches of life.  He put this into action and started taking on new things not previously explored and putting his opinions on the back burner in order to have a more open mind for new activities and connections with people.  It was in these new adventures, new challenges and areas previously unexplored in life that really helped him to enjoy more, learn more and experience the best things in life.

With all these changes, the change itself actually becomes the journey of his life, since the value of change becomes more and more apparent he’s realized that it is the one factor that limits people more than anything else.  His own shift has changed him, created new beliefs around the fact that change is required to create opportunities, experiences and improvements in life and should not be avoided.  If improvements come about from change, then to improve is to change.  Both for himself as a person and in how he can impact the world, these beliefs have changed and the fear and limiting beliefs around it have faded away and completely out of mind and consideration.  His now strong beliefs in the ability to change is what makes improvement and personal development easier for him.  And he knows this is necessary to impact the world.  It’s this ability to go against the grain, learn from it and eliminate the fears of facing new challenges and instead learning from them.  This same belief bleeds out to the process of changing the world and improving it as well.

Morals of the story:

1. Success should never be measured by self achievement or at a single point in time
2. Confidence is the biggest shield against self discovery
3. The “skinny branches” in life are where the fruit is
4. The belief of change enables changing the world

Posted by Mike King under Success | 20 Comments »