We have a video on Theodore Roosevelt which relates the advice his father gave him as he left for college. He didn’t say, “Work hard.” He didn’t say, “Stay out of trouble.” He didn’t say, “Find your passion.” He didn’t say, “Consider this major or that,” or, “Participate in this activity or that.” He simply said, “Guard your character.”
In some sense, that is what much of this book is about: valuing your character and living a life that exhibits the qualities you treasure most.
You must perpetually and intentionally choose that if your life is to reflect it. Challenges will come at you from all directions—including your own tendencies and desires—which will tempt you to compromise. That is not to say that flexibility is not important in relationships and life. But you must consciously consider whether that flexibility is simply letting go of the need to “have it your way,” or whether it is compromising core values key to your character and identity. This can be most challenging when the conflict comes from within yourself: each of us has natural vulnerabilities—be they derived from genetics or environment—that test our capacity to do what we know is right. Managing those challenges builds our character. You may have heard a quote from the late Stephen Covey that captures the cost of such decisions:
Sow a thought, reap an action
Sow an action, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character,
Sow a character, reap a destiny
Recent research increasingly tells us that character traits such as self-control, fairness, integrity, perseverance, zest, optimism, and gratitude may be as important as intellect in predicting success in school, career and life. Some schools have already begun including results of this research into their programming. With luck, these trends will continue. Whether or not they do, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. gave his son very good advice.
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