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A Better You
by Jo Ann
Fore
Character Makes
the Man
“Character, in the long run, is
the decisive factor in the life of an individual…”
~Theodore Roosevelt
Five
children are playing outside their home in a local
neighborhood. Walking in the grass—alongside
the road—something catches their eye and one
of them stoops down to pick it up.
“It’s a billfold!” Stephen,
the oldest, shouts.
The
younger children swarm him. “Let me see –“
“No,
let me see!”
“Whose
is it?”
“What’s
in it?”
Stephen raises the billfold
out of arms reach, and breaks away from the crowd. He
opens it up. Inside he discovers cash – almost
$100, a lot of cash to a group of young children—but
there’s no identification. “Ooooo….can we keep it?” the
children cry in unison.
“Let’s just take the money and put the
billfold back,” one of the children suggests.
“But maybe the owner will come back for it and
need the money,” says another.
Stephen walks a short distance away from the children,
deep in thought.
Will his character play a role in his ultimate decision?
What is Character?
Individuals possess good character
or bad character. Our character is a habit, the way
we think, speak,
or act, by nature. Character is usually determined
by a presence of – or lack of – moral and
ethical strength. Good character helps us distinguish
between right and wrong. The choices we make in daily
life reflect the type of person we are.
Right choices from individuals make
for a better world, and to bring this home – a better dating relationship:
Good character strengthens relationships by promoting
a relational intimacy that isn’t available to
those with a bad character.
Set Apart by Your Character
Many of us consider ourselves
good judges of character. But, if you had to analyze
your own character, would
you pass the test? Be honest with yourself as you ask
the following questions:
1. Do you walk with integrity?
Are you what you say you are; or are you inconsistent
and misleading?
2. Are you honest?
Do you speak the truth, and keep your promises, even
when it hurts; or are you evasive, dishonest, or
sneaky?
3. Do you respect others?
Are you courteous and reverent; or do you slander,
look down on, or condemn the actions of others?
4.
Are you compassionate and kind-hearted?
Are you concerned and sympathetic; or are you cruel-hearted
or indifferent?
5. Are you self-disciplined?
Are you careful and calculated; or are you slothful
or indulgent?
6. Do you despise wickedness?
Are you shocked by evil deeds; or are you immune
to them, as long as they don’t affect you first-hand?
7.
Do you value those of virtue?
Do you show a regard for good character; or do
you take it for granted?
8. Are you known by
the company you keep?
Are you around good people who make good choices;
or do your friends bring you down?
9. Are you
reliable?
Are you trustworthy; or questionable and unreliable?
10.
Are you faithful?
Are you worthy of trust; or are you disloyal
and backstabbing?
11. Are you sincere?
Are you straightforward; or two-faced and
complicated?
12. Are you generous?
Are you hospitable and lavish; or stingy
and meager?
13. Are you patient?
Are you accommodating and easy-going;
or easily ruffled and angered?
14. Are
you humble?
Do you behave modestly; or are you
overbearing and arrogant?
Time for Change
Maybe you have good intentions, but
found that you didn’t do well on the self-analysis. Don’t
give up yet. Character is a habit, and habits can be
developed. I read once that even when a tree has been
chopped down, there is still hope. As long as the tree
has roots in the ground, it still has a chance of developing
new sprouts. Development of good character is possible
when we are willing to work on our value system.
We
have a sense of moral goodness to drive our conduct – it’s
called our conscience. Good character can be developed
as we make a deliberate effort to utilize our conscience
to advise us to do the right thing. It’s necessary
to learn how to incorporate actions that will develop
the habit of good character.
Woodrow
Wilson said, “If you think about what
you ought to do for other people, your character will
take care of itself.”
Our conscience is always faithful to warn us, and
instruct us, in the right direction.
And
good character often comes with its own reward. Stephen
and the children decided to turn the billfold
into the neighborhood property association. The management
agreed to put out notices to search for the rightful
owner. No one came forward. After a 30-day waiting
period, the management office rewarded the children’s
honesty by giving them the money.
Jo
Ann Fore welcomes your comments about this article or suggestions
for material you would like to see in future articles.
Email her at: JoAnnFore@msn.com. A
Better You is published every Saturday.
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