Heraclitus is quoted for saying, “A man’s character is his FATE.” Our character is connected to who we believe we are or trying to become. Character is built through adolescence, family, teachers, environment, coaches, mentors, friends, and our ethnic culture. Good character, or moral force, is like a personal security system for your LIFE. Charles Horton once said, “I am not what I think I am, and I am not what you think I am. I am what I think YOU think I AM.” Self-reflection is the only vehicle to self-growth. Typically, the person we believe we are internally, reflects how we respond externally. We have to be continually repainting our life canvas. Ensuring that we are constantly improving and growing in all areas of life.
We lead our lives by our beliefs. If a person wants to change his belief system, he has to change his ideas about himself or his ideas about the world. A value is a belief. Values are behaviors or standards that govern our daily actions. In the book, “The power of character in leadership”, by Dr. Myles Monroe, discusses how our values lead our lives. Here are four areas Monroe shows the influence our personal values have on us.
- Values grow out of personal or corporate philosophy.
- Values are more important than rules.
- Values outlive GOALS.
- A person values will be revealed by the way we conduct ourselves.
Character is who we are when no one else is watching. Character is your BRAND. It is what everyone says about you when you are not present. Monroe says, “a person with character “policies” himself. Exercising self-control in accordance with their belief.” In his book, Monroe gives a few examples of what “Character Means”:
-Character means having a commitment to a set of values without compromise.
-Character means being dedicated to a set of standards without warning.
– Character means making sacrifices in support of your principles.
– Character means making a continual effort to integrate your thoughts, words, and actions.
We live in a world where our entire life is public. Any personal downfall can be exploited on every social media platform out there. Our character is the only thing we have to protect us from being influenced or persuaded into committing an action that can or will be regretted in the future. It is a daily job to continually renew and feed our mind with positive, uplifting, and progressive information. Growth is intentional. Character is manifested when our values, principles, morals, and standards are tested. Discover who you want to become first and define the values, standards, and principles you have to live by in order to become that person. We all will be tested in some way in life, remember your character is what people will say about you at your funeral.
Quote of the Day: “The currency of leadership is TRUST!”- Dr. Myles Monroe