Be kind to people

There is tremendous power behind humility and kindness.

Some people equate humility with weakness. Boastful people think they are mighty and strong, but the truth is they use their strength and boastfulness to hide insecurity. Secure, confident and competent people have nothing to prove and, therefore, their biggest challenge is how not to display their strength.

Some people are shrewd. They hide their strength and competence and use it as tools and weapons to use at the right time. This way they gain advantage over others, this is not kindness. This is cruelty in another form.

But the truly kind and humble people are meek. Meekness is technically defined as “meekness under control.” And so they genuinely think that the strength they possess, the competence and the confidence is a stewardship of influence they need to use for the good.

The world is highly connected. You will never know when or where you will cross path with the people you have had engagements before. While the entertainment media portrays rudeness and disrespect (complete with all the cussing and cursing) and bad attitude as being ideal, the reality is that respect, kindness and humility are the true platform that brings a person to a higher level of success and fulfillment.

This is why you never burn bridges.You never know that the person you work with just might turn out to be your:

a. Future boss

b. Future business partner

c. Future spouse

d. Future mother-in-law

Watch out for the last one. That is extremely precarious.

Kindness and humility does not translate to stupidity or ignorance. Some people take advantage of kindness and people’s humility in order to take undue advantage and that is not a good thing.

I like the biblical principle where in Jesus Christ said: “We are to be gentle as doves, but wise as serpents.”

I have a huge following in my social media. I remember posting this material and got more than 15,000 likes with 6,400 plus shares and a 400 or more comments. And this is the post: “This may sound harsh, but sometimes this is the right thing to do. Sometimes you need to stop helping (always giving money) when the people you have been helping now consider your kindness as your obligation. This simply means you are no longer helping. Have a change of strategy. Convert help into a transaction. Require them to do their responsibilities. This way you are not just helping, you are training and educating them. And this is a better kind of help.” People are made up of different stuff and they carry different values (or the lack of it).

I love this material which I have kept all these years that is credited to anonymity:

Some people are like wheels - they don’t work unless they’re pushed.

Some people are like trailers – they have to be pulled.

Some people are like kites – always up in the air, and if you don’t keep a string on them, they fly away.

Some people are like canoes – they have to be paddled.

Some people are like footballs – you never know which way they are going to bounce next.

Some people are like balloons – always puffed up, and you never know when they are going to blow up.

Some people are like flat tires – they have to be jacked up.

Some people are like good watches - pure gold, open faced, always on time, dependable, quietly busy and just full of good works.

You’ll find different people of different varieties in different workplaces, and this would explain the reason why in many instances, people cannot get along with each other.

Here is another material I have posted on my Facebook and perhaps this will be a fitting conclusion:

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Remember this: the biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

Life is a grindstone; whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends upon what you are made of.

The key learning here is not what become of them when you deal with them, but how and what you become as a person as a result of doing so. And that is the gist behind humility and kindness in dealing with different kinds of people.

(“Will To Win” is a conference that will be held on Oct. 1, 1-6 p.m. at Crowne Plaza Hotel. Be inspired and learn from speakers Francis Kong, Randell Tiongson, Gretchen Ho and Carlo Ople as they share principles and experiences on how to win in business, finance, career and social media. For further inquiries contact Michael at +63916-187-1506 or call April +63928-559-1798 for details)