Daily Mood Quote
Day 21 – May 25, 2011
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
~James D. Miles
In the movie The American President, President Andrew Shepherd (played by Micheal Douglas) said “...I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.”
Yesterday, our family dog destroyed my husband's glasses and his reaction revealed a little bit about his character. Even tempered, balanced, a little laughter and one big, giant son-of-aaaa-bi@#$ (thanks Uncle Joe). The point is, it didn't reveal everything. Character is a three dimensional concept. You can't see everything at once and it takes some time to see all the sides. We need to view character much like a ball, within the light of the events of the moment. Different lights make different views.
So often in life, we tend to judge people and ourselves solely on one event, or light, without taking the time to walk around the entire object. Things and people are not always what they appear to be at first observation. My family has faced their fair share of challenges and also have had a few successes. Each of these has shone a different light on one side of our character, or the other. How you handle these situations reveals only one aspect of your character at a time, and that is how you treat people who can do nothing for you. When you're successful, how you treat the everyday people you meet on the streets, in the supermarkets, or elsewhere who may not be as successful, shines a spotlight on your character. It can reveals cracks that even you didn't know you had. When you have a failure, how you treat those same people and people who happen to be successful at that moment, can shine a global light on your character. People will look from all sides and you should too. It's true, folks can achieve success without character, however in the long run they are neither respected, nor liked and they have done nothing to advance their own spirit.
People can certainly fail without character, but that doesn't mean people who have failed have little or no character. Robert Kennedy said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” History is ripe with people of great character who have fallen on hard times. Much like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, who both filed bankruptcy. Yet history has revealed the long-term power of their character. Lincoln lead the nation through a time of unprecedented tribulation and lead a charge for civil rights and civil unity that defines our nation, and; Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence... it wasn't to get out of paying his bills.
An unattributed quote that rings true is “adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it,”. My husband has been saying this for nearly 30 years. However, it only reveals it in one light, the light of the moment, its not a 360 degree view. Whether you are faced with adversity, or you know someone that is, don't let the light of the moment define the total understanding of their character. Be kind and non-judgmental to yourself and others, until you can gain some perspective and a new light.
What light shines on your character today?
Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote
Thank you for reading
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