The Character Reflection
I've heard it said that one of the greatest chasms in life is the one between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
Life would certainly be more plain sailing...and success a lot easier to attain if we simply knew the 'right' things to do and then just 'did' them, right?
Making a decision is a good start but it takes discipline to help us stay the course and finish well - by doing the 'right thing'.
This is where character comes in. It's our character (principles, values, and beliefs) that determines whether the decisions we make in life are effective or not. Our behaviour and how others observe us is the ultimate reflection of our character.
We all have stories we can share that reflect strong...and not so strong character but rather than prattle on here (I'll leave that for another day), I wanted to share some inspiring 'character' quotes that resonated with me. I hope they do with you too.
The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out - Thomas Babington Macaulay
You cannot dream yourself into a character, you must hammer and forge yourself one - James A. Froude
Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open - Elmer G. Letterman
Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny - Charles Reade
Character is, in the long run, the decisive factor in the life of individuals and of nations alike - Theodore Roosevelt
Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming - Jim Rohn
Any fool can criticise, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving - Dale Carnegie
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved - Helen Keller
Character, not circumstance, makes the person - Booker T. Washington
Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands - Anne Frank
That last one provides some hope for those parents (like me) who occasionally beat themselves up worrying how their children will turn out.
All we can do is teach them what strong character looks like by living it ourselves.