DO YOU HAVE CHARACTER!

Last Wednesday on our weekly organization call we were discussing how "in order to be a great leader you must start by being a great person". Throughout the call we were all analyzing ourselves on things like integrity, character, how we carry ourselves, etc. It was a very good talk but it left me wondering: do I have true character? I kept thinking about it and how I might go about measuring my character because this is something I have always held in high regard.

It took a couple of days but on Saturday night the answer came to me. (It surprises me to this day, how what you focus on truly does materialize) I was watching the hit TV series Friday Night Light's. The show is about high school football and the drama (good or bad) that follows the football players. I've always loved the Coach of the football team, he really represents what I feel true character is. And of course he didn't disappoint me in the latest episode either. He was talking to his Star Quarterback before there next game. His quarterback just had his father come home from prison and needless to say he was none to excited about. He was upset because his mother kept telling him to "Be Better" and forgive his father, even the coach was telling him to rise above and "Be Better". At this point the young quarterback broke down about how he didn't know how to be better and that he never had anyone teach him.

In response to this Coach Taylor said "I said you need to STRIVE to be better than everyone else, I didn't say you NEED to be better than everyone else. But you gotta try. That's what CHARACTER is... It's in the trying." 

I don't know about you but that made complete sense to me. Your character isn't determined by one event, or action. It isn't determined by what people say or by the results you get. It's not even determined by your success' or failures. It is determined by consciously making the decision, everyday, to strive to be better today than you were the day before.

I think your character is one of the most important things we should spend our time developing. It is who we are, it is the actions we take when faced with tough decisions.

Take the time today and ask yourself... Are you striving to be better?