Episode 132 - Character is Everything
Growing up, my Dad told me, as I’m sure your Mom or Dad told you, “Your reputation is everything.” Now I know what he said was right but he didn’t go deep enough, because actually, our character is everything. H. Jackson Browne said, “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” Our character is internal while our reputation is external. And, wrote Elbert Hubbard, “many a man’s reputation would not know his character if they met on the street.”
So, how do you develop a positive character? Helen Keller, an activist for the blind 75 years ago said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” That sounds harsh but I believe Dr. Martin Luther King would of agreed with her wisdom. He said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Taking this concept further is Abraham Lincoln’s pronouncement, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” I wonder if he was referring to people who go from being on the sales team to Vice President of Sales?
Anyhow, I believe our character is something we can sculpt and I like Ken Keys observation, “A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.”