Character: Building A Strong Foundation

By Dan Nielsen

March 27, 2014


Image courtesy of Emily Sirkel
Image courtesy of Emily Sirkel

 

Yes, talent is important. So is education and experience. But in the end, it is our character that makes or breaks us.” – Michael Hyatt

 

We typically don’t think much about a house’s foundation until we start noticing cracks in the walls or doors that are sticking. Unfortunately at that point there’s already a problem.

 

Sometimes the same is true when it comes to character—the foundational qualities that a person’s words and actions are built upon. We often don’t give a person’s character much thought until we start to see telltale signs that something is amiss. Like the door that doesn’t quite line up with its frame anymore, when a person’s behavior doesn’t line up with what they say, we know something is wrong with the foundation.

 

While most of us are familiar enough with our own houses that we would pretty quickly notice signs of foundation problems, the same is not always true of ourselves. Little cracks might start appearing in our character without us being aware. It might be harsher comments about your boss, longer pauses on questionable pop-up ads, more four-letter words sprinkled into your conversations, or less attention spent on your family. Whatever it may be, when our character suffers, it begins to show.

 

So how do we build a strong foundation? How do we cultivate positive character? Author and speaker Michael Hyatt shares three areas that greatly impact how our character is shaped:

 

  • The Input We Consume
  • The Relationships We Pursue
  • The Habits We Acquire

 

Our character can be built up or eroded by the things we choose to watch, read, or listen to, by the people we spend time with and allow to influence us, and by the choices that soon become habits.

 

Don’t wait until you notice (or someone points out) ‘cracks in your foundation.’ Be proactive, and choose today to be intentional about forming and maintaining a solid foundation of positive character. Spend time thinking about the input you regularly consume, the relationships you pursue, and the habits that you’ve acquired.

 

What do you need to change, starting today?

 

To read the full article by Michael Hyatt, please click here.

 

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About the author

Dan Nielsen is the author of the books Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, and Presidential Leadership: Learning from United States Presidential Libraries & Museums. He regularly writes and speaks on leadership excellence and achieving greater success, and is available to deliver keynotes, lead workshops, or facilitate discussions for your group. LEARN MORE

  1. Precisely why youth organizations, that emphasize Character, like the Boy Scouts our so vitally important. Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the world-wide Scouting movement said a more than a couple of important things, but two that stand out for me are:

    “Character is what you do when no one is looking”

    “It is easier to build a boy than to repair a man”

    Dan, on one of you museum excursions, try the National Scouting Museum right at home in Irving Texas. Beautiful collection of Norman Rockwell Art

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