“The ability to sell the family parrot to the town gossip without fear.” (Author unknown)
I was thinking about this lately and I realized that prior to writing a post on goal-setting, I should have written something about character first. After all, character is the foundation of our being. It is, in the words of D L Moody, “Who we are when no one is looking”. Well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it?
Why is character such an inevitable issue when topics such as personal development are brought up? Because without first building a strong character a person will become a puppet of circumstances. We don’t want to let circumstances take control of our lives, do we now? Sadly, however, as we become too career-centered as opposed to principle-centered and as we become immersed in all mundane possessions, we have allowed the things in this world determine who we are when who we truly are must determine what we have. Haven’t you noticed that upon introducing ourselves to a stranger we invariably tell them what we do?
What should character, then, be all about? Philip Baker has it that “Character is all about being …doing is simply the reflection of our inner core. Indeed, true enjoyment in our chosen occupation is a result of doing because of being. Who I am, should dictate what I do, not the other way around. In other words we are human beings not human doings!” (Perhaps it will remain as one of the most powerful words on character.)
A person, therefore, who has a strong character makes things happen and does not allow things to control him. Let me repeat that: A person who has a strong character MAKES THINGS HAPPEN and does not allow things to control him.
So be aware of the type of character you choose and the type of character you have now. Dig deeply inside you. Ask yourself “Am I the true person I hope to be some 15 or 20 years ago? Am I in charge or is my external world driving me?” If upon careful analysis of how your life is going you feel that you are being driven by your external world and that you let circumstances get in the way of your dreams, then it’s time to fortify your character. Remember, character is a product of habits and life experiences and as such can’t be built overnight. However, you can and must start cultivating a burning desire to become the person you want to become and would want to be remembered NOW. START NOW.
Before you set out to attain any material goal, think again and see if the material goal such as money, cars and other intangible ones such as fame, career and relationship, are congruent to the character that you desire. If not, fortify your character first and by then the true you will determine the goals that will give you a lifetime of satisfaction. Only then will you become truly successful.