Building Character VS Being a Character Part 1

By Detri L. McGhee

A bit of disclaimer first: In cleaning out very old files, I ran across this program I prepared long ago for a high school senior class. I am sure all the thoughts aren’t mine because I remember collecting many of them from a variety of sources, one-by-one in a book I kept just for that. However, I am also sure that many of them were my thoughts about “their” thoughts.

Webster defines “CHARACTER” in a variety of ways, but for this time together, we will use Webster’s definitions of character as 1. Moral strength and 2. Reputation.

It’s about being REAL. It’s revealed by what you say when you hit your finger with a hammer.

You are growing up in a unique America. Leadership with CHARACTER is in short supply. Since the founding of our nation, NEVER BEFORE has our country seen such a crisis in the development of future leaders for America.

The POTENTIAL is here — but the initiative and the drive to develop that potential is at an all-time low. Never before has the stage been set more favorably to bring YOU to success. The choice is YOURS.

John Henry Fabre, a French naturalist, experimented with processionary caterpillars, so called because the travel in a line, blindly following one another. He lined the caterpillars around a flowerpot in a complete circle. Around they walked 24 hours a day for 3 days. No food. No water. Then, he put their food, pine needles, in the pot within their reach but they would have to break rank to reach it. They kept going round and round – 7 days and 7 nights until they literally dropped dead.

Why? With nourishment right within smell/reach, they just wouldn’t leave the pack. Because, they confused activity with accomplishment. They ONLY Followed.

Think. THINK. THINK!!!

Life-giving sustenance was available if only they would look up, reach up, and give up their blind obedience to following others no matter the cost! And consider this… ALL would have been saved if only ONE OF THEM had been willing to THINK for himself… and reach up for life.

How do we develop a good, rock-solid character that will carry us through all of life with our heads held high, and our lives counting for something?

Did you know that most of us have, at best, about 1000 months to live? A twelve-year-old has already used up 144 of them. What are you trading your 1000 months for?

HOW, we ask, do we develop the right kind of character?

You must have VISION! The Wisdom Book says, “Where there is no VISION, the people perish.” Someone defined V-I-S-I-O-N as…

Victory In Seeing Innovative Opportunities Now

By: Detri McGhee – CLU, ChFC