Daily Dose of Positivity: Importance of Humility

 “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” — Epictetus

Humility is the anecdote to arrogance. Humility is a recognition that we don’t know, that we were wrong, that we’re not better than anyone else.

Humility is simple to understand but hard to practice.

Humility isn’t a lack of confidence but an earned confidence. The confidence to say that you might not be right, but you’ve done the diligence, and you’ve put in the work.

Humility keeps you wondering what you’re missing or if someone is working harder than you. And yet when pride and arrogance take over, humility flees and so does our ability to learn, adapt, and build lasting relationships with others.

Humility won’t let you take credit for luck. And humility is the voice in your mind that doesn’t let small victories seem larger than they are. Humility is the voice inside your head that says, ‘anyone can do it once, that’s luck. Can you do it consistently?’

More than knowing yourself, humility is accepting yourself.

Daily Dose of Positivity: Quotes that inspire me in daily life

* No one has an exclusive opportunity. When the sun rises, it raises for everyone – Chinese proverb

·      * I have never in my life learned anything from anyone who agreed with me – Dudley Moore

·      * One who looks for a friend without faults will have none – Hasidic saying

·     *  Plan for the future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life – Mark Twain

·  * Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence – Vince Lombardi

·      * The essence of genius is knowing what to overlook – William James

·      * Light tomorrow with today – Browning

·      * It is not the truth that loses us: it is the way of telling it – Voltaire

·      * It may be true that truth alone wins in the end, but all that wins may not be the truth…. My own belief.

Daily Dose of Positivity - Pro & Anti Approaches

 I could protest an issue every day—taking an “anti” approach—or I could identify other options that bring in the same required result, without the downside of the present proposal. This is the “pro” approach—focusing on an alternative solution, rather than stopping something I don’t like.

With both approaches, I can stop the issue from being taken up. But in the “pro” approach, I get the outcome I want, with the added benefit of not allowing my disdain for the issue to derail a positive benefit out of it to the community.

There are certainly times when we need to stand against something, regardless of why it exists. But generally speaking, taking a solution-oriented, “pro” approach leads to more progress and sustainable change.

….From Friday Forward- Robert Glazer

Daily Dose of Positivity: Too much of anything is bad

Numerous studies have shown that companies that try to do too many things at once—such as taking on too many focus areas or aiming for too many goals—consistently underperform their peers. A company that is constantly distracted from its core business and principles won’t thrive and may not survive for very long. It applies to individuals also.

When we try to be everything for everyone, we run the risk of being nothing for no one.

“Don’t be afraid to lose people. Be afraid of losing yourself by trying to please everyone around you.” – Author Unknown

n  --  From Robert Glazer- Friday Forward

Daily Dose of Positivity: Errors in judgement

“Errors of human judgment can infect even the smartest people, thanks to overconfidence, lack of attention to details, and excessive trust in the judgments of others, stemming from a failure to understand that others are not making independent judgments but are themselves following still others—the blind leading the blind.” – Robert J. Shiller

Research has shown that trying to win an auction often causes us to act irrationally. This leads to what’s called the winner’s curse, a phenomenon where the winning bid in an auction exceeds the true worth of an item. Often, the bidder who overestimates an item’s value most ends up winning the auction.  

Daily Dose of Positivity – Avoiding pain and doing great work

One of the biggest things holding people back from doing great work is the fear of making something lame.

Most people don't even reach the stage of making something they're embarrassed by, let alone continue past it. They're too frightened even to start."

A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” — Paulo Coelho in The Fifth Mountain

Daily Dose of Positivity – Avoid losing

Chess masters know that to win you have to avoid losing.

The first thing they do after an opponent makes a move isn’t to think about strategy or winning but rather to ask themselves: what’s the threat?

Avoid stupidity before seeking brilliance.

The biggest generator of long-term results is learning to do things when you don't feel like doing them.

Discipline is more reliable than motivation.

Another great lesson for life: hard work usually beats talent that doesn’t work hard.  

If you want to do a good deed, do it now. The time will pass, and you will not have the chance again.”

— Leo Tolstoy in A Calendar of Wisdom