I am almost certain that we have all been in a situation where we have found ourselves surrounded by a group of people who are attempting to argue over whose life is the most agonizing; the only goal in the conversation is to be the unluckiest, most heartbroken and ran-to-the-ground human being. I like to call this a "miserable life competition." I have found that people tend to complain in order to receive recognition for how diligent they think they are. The fact is, when you compete about your "hard life" as if it is a tournament, people don't actually develop more respect for you. In fact, they lose interest.
To stay humble is to lower your dignity or importance. This does not mean degrading yourself in order to put someone else first. It is an admirable quality that I believe more people need to practice. Not only does humbling yourself include being modest about your success, it also has a lot to do with piping it down with your complaints. A person could be having a hard time or they may have accomplished a lot, but when they decide that it isn't always necessary brag about working hard, they are not only demonstrating self-control, but also positivity.
When I think of being humble, I immediately think of my dad. Ever since I was young, I have never heard him complain about being tired, overworked or upset about life in general. He is responsible for supporting my sisters and I, while building an enjoyable life for us quite literally with his bare hands. The fact that he has never boasted about what he's done or asked for a thank you is exactly what makes me so grateful for him. Every day that he has come home from work, he refused to talk about his day. Not because it was uneventful, but because he wants to focus on enjoying life outside of his career. I have listened to him talk to my mom each day over dinner while asking her how her day was without any concern over talking about himself. This is exactly what it means to practice being humble by being more interested than interesting.
When it comes to the miserable life competitions, the winner receives nothing. So why do people still compete? Winners are those who understand that there are hurdles in life which everyone will need to jump at some point. They may assume that their complaints make them look like hard working individuals who need recognition. However, it is more admirable to be a humble, hard worker.
