"I look forward to the day when people will not be judged by color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King Jr.
There is no doubt that we ought not to judge people by the color of their skin and I'm happy to say that while we have not yet reached it, we have made significant progress towards the day that Martin Luther King Junior was looking forward to. Yet there remains the question of character: Do I have good character? What does good character really look like? It is easy to see that we have seen a decrease in the overall character of our leaders and our generation, so where do we begin?
Good character is everything that you've been taught in Kindergarten. Wait your turn; Don't hit people; Use your manners; Don't whine or complain; Be honest; Share with others; Ask questions; Be respectful. The list goes on and on. A large part of our elementary education is focused on character education and development. These are all things we know well about being a good person, but allow me to add to our list:
Humility
"Know and play to your strengths", some would say. And while this is good advice it only finds its completion hand-in-hand with a humble attitude. There is something worth learning from each and every person you meet. More to the point, there is nobody that we are entirely above. Stay humble, and therefore aware of what you can learn from one another.
Integrity
Integrity in good character is living with moral fortitude both out in the public and behind closed doors. If you privately indulge in the things that are not in good character (thievery, selfishness, anger, etc.) well, it is only a matter of time before those practices will come out to the public, no matter how good of a public face you can make. To the point, the way we live our private lives is the true nature of our character. Having good or strong integrity is the state where your private and public behaviors are virtually the same in good character.
Compassion
Like humility, compassion is dealt out in our relationships with others. Compassion is found in many forms, but most commonly in giving sacrificially. As we witness the struggles that others live out on a daily basis our compassion leads us to give freely and even become supports for those in need. Out of the goodness of our character compassion leads us to change the lives of many for the better. I could spend a lot of time speaking about compassion, but there is more to good character to discuss.
Discipline
Think of the best person you know. Would you say that they are self-controlled? That is the power of discipline in good character. Discipline has its hand not only in self-control, but also consistency, accountability, and overall growth. Discipline sets out to accomplish a task or feat and does so despite setbacks. Discipline is the method for preventing backsliding from having and maintaining good character. And discipline is like a muscle; You need to train and use it to make it stronger.
All these traits and more are present in good character, but how do we set out to attain them?
It begins with telling yourself that you will have good character. Self-talk is one of those aspects of integrity that character comes out of. All while keeping a humble attitude, remind yourself that you can and will have strong character. Even something as simple as repeating to yourself:
"I have strong character and I will always make the righteous decision."
Statements of positive affirmation and others have a powerful and meaningful effect on your day to day life, and therefore character building over a period of consistent practice.
This is where humility plays its hand, for we all will fail at times, but through humility we acknowledge our failures and overcome them. Perhaps that is simply making amends with someone you've hurt, or even to go so far as restructuring how you spend your time. Not only does humility help us when we fail, but also prevents us from thinking we're all that when we're successful. Humility and integrity draw out that which does not contribute to the goodness of our character in our lives, and discipline is the tool for eliminating these inhibitors.
The road to a strong, upright character is long and difficult, but worthwhile. I don't think I need to argue the benefits of good character, but at the very least know that developing good individual character will in fact lead to the better society we're all hoping for.
