Ever notice those overpowered anime characters? Take Jin Woo from Solo Leveling. He starts out weak and becomes a total boss, yet he often still doubts himself.

A lot of people think that's humility, but it’s not. True humility isn't about thinking you're less; it's about being secure enough to think of yourself less and focus on others.

I'm David Maxwell from thrivingman.com, where we help you conquer the chaos and build a truly thriving life.

Today, we're tackling a common trap: mistaking self-hatred for humility. We'll unpack C.S. Lewis's powerful quote: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." So many of us get this wrong, constantly putting ourselves down, thinking that's what we're supposed to do. But this mindset hurts us and hinders our growth. Let's dive into how this plays out and how to naturally break free.

The Mask Problem: Remember Jim Carrey in "The Mask"? Slapping on a persona because he didn't know how to be his authentic self? A lot of guys today struggle with this, wearing a "mask" to pretend or play a part because they're insecure. I saw this in myself after I found God, trying to cover up my insecurities by acting "humble," constantly putting myself down. It didn't work! It held me back. We've got to be careful we're not hiding behind a mask, preventing ourselves from learning how to be genuinely authentic in our worldview.

The Gravity Issue: We often see ourselves as the sun in our own solar system, with everything revolving around "me." But while we're not the center of the universe, we're definitely not the trash of the universe either! We tend to go all-or-nothing: either we're the most important person, or we're worthless. This self-hatred doesn't benefit us or our relationships.

The Focus Shift: The key to true humility isn't dwelling on your perceived shortcomings; it's intentionally shifting your focus outward, towards serving and helping others. Think about walking into an event and your first thought being, "Who can I help feel comfortable here?" Genuine care and service is the core of humility. But be warned: serving to "network" or get ahead is just another form of pride. We want to authentically serve because it's a natural expression of humility. Interestingly, it's often in serving others that we discover and develop our gifts.

True humility is being secure enough to take the spotlight off yourself.

• Check your Masks: Are you hiding behind a persona?
• Check your Universe: Does everything revolve around you?
• Work on Shifting Your Focus: Intentionally look for ways to serve and help others.

For more help on living a thriving life, head over to www.thrivingman.com.