Two weeks to go till MOMENTUM 2014 and I am officially in full "pull-my-hair-out" mode. So no time to write today. But below is the summary of an article I read several months ago that I try to refer back to every so often. The article was written by Dr. Alan Zimmerman and it's about the importance of CHARACTER - the one thing that we take with us wherever we go. When all is said and done, your character will prove to be more important than your accomplishments, your career or just about anything else in life. Never forget that!
WHAT IS CHARACTER?
Will Rogers, the great comedian of the Great Depression, once commented on the definition of character. He told to people to "live in such a way that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip!"
Gordon H. Taggart struggled with the whole concept of character, wishing he had more of it. As he wrote about what he lacked in character, he did a fantastic job of describing what it meant to BE the right kind of person. He described 11 characteristics.
"I wish I were...
HONEST enough to admit my shortcomings;
BRILLIANT enough to accept flattery without it making me arrogant;
TALL enough to tower above deceit;
STRONG enough to treasure love;
BRAVE enough to welcome criticism;
COMPASSIONATE enough to understand human frailties;
WISE enough to recognize my mistakes;
HUMBLE enough to appreciate greatness;
FAITHFUL enough to stand by my friends;
HUMAN enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor, and
RIGHTEOUS enough to be devoted to the love of God."
It may be worth a few minutes of your time to see how you stack up against those 11 characteristics. I know it opened my eyes as to where I needed to grow my character. Pick one characteristic to focus for the rest of this month. Then decide how you will implement your strategy at home and at work. Be specific.
Remember, there's nothing more valuable than your character. It's the only thing you take with you wherever you go in life.