A man took his young daughter to a carnival, and she immediately ran over to a booth and asked for cotton candy. As the attendant handed her a huge ball of it, the father asked, “Sweetheart, are you sure you can eat all that?”
“Don’t worry dad,” the little girl replied, “I’m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.”
That’s what real character is – being bigger on the inside. An anonymous author explained character in these words: “The difference between personality and character: Personality is what you are when lots of people are around; character is what you are when everybody goes home.”
“There is no substitute for character,” reminds Robert A. Cook. “You can buy brains, but you cannot buy character.”
A life built on the sands of celebrity can be wrecked by the rains of reverses. A life built on the sands of materialism can be destroyed by the floods of adversity. A life built on the sands of pleasure can be blown down by the winds of disillusionment. Only the life that is built on the rock of character can withstand the tempests of time.
As a person, you select your own character. You are the creator of yourself. Inspirational speaker John C. Maxwell explains: “We do choose our character. We created it every time we make choice – to cop out or dig out of a hard situation, to bend the truth or stand under the weight of it, to take the easy money or pay the price. As you live your life and make choices today, you are continuing to create your character.”
One character that most people find laudable is integrity. My dictionary defines integrity as “unimpaired condition.” Such attribute is manifested by American novelist John Grisham, author of the blockbuster books that become blockbuster movies. He has been called “a straight arrow making his way along a very crooked path.”
In an earlier interview with a magazine, Grisham has said he would rather be a nice guy than resort to filling his books with sex and gore. He refuses to write anything that would offend or embarrass either his mother or his children.
Contrary to many in the publishing world might have predicted, his approach has paid off big. Fan mail and sales from The Firm and The Pelican Brief are proof. Films made from his novels are box office hits!
Integrity is synonymous with honesty. American president George Washington pointed out: “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”
Rosalie Elliott had made it to the fourth round of a national spelling contest in Washington. The 11-year-old from South Carolina had been asked to spell the word “avowal.” In her soft southern accent she spelled the word, but the judges were not able to determine if she had used an “a” or an “e” as the next to the last letter.
The judges debated among themselves for several minutes as they listened to tape recording playbacks. The crucial letter, however, was too accent-blurred to decipher. Finally, the chief judge put the question to the only person who knew the answer.
“Was the letter an ‘a’ or was it an ‘e’?” he asked Rosalie. By this time, being surrounded by whispering young spellers, Rosalie knew the correct spelling of the word. Still, without hesitation, she replied that she had misspelled the word and she walked from the stage.
Here’s what happened next as reported by one journalist: “The entire audience stood and applauded, including some fifty newspaper reporters. The moment was a heartwarming and proud one for her parents. Even in defeat, she was a victor. Indeed, more has been written about Rosalie Elliott over the years than about the ‘unknown’ winner of the event!”
Someone once said: “The beginning of greatness is to be little, the increase of greatness is to be less, and the perfection of greatness is to be nothing.” He was actually talking about humility.
“Humility is the first of virtues,” Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “for other people.” John Ruskin noted, “I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man…”
Many years ago, a rider on horseback came across a squad of soldiers who were trying to move a heavy piece of timber. The rider noticed that a well-dressed corporal was standing by and giving commands to “heave.” The piece of timber was just a little too heavy, however, for the group of men to move.
“Why don’t you help them?” the man on horseback quietly asked the important corporal. “Me?” the corporal responded with shock in his voice. “Why, I’m a corporal.”
The rider then dismounted and took his place with the soldiers. Smiling at them he said encouragingly, “Now, all together boys – heave!” The big piece of timber moved easily with the help of the additional man. The stranger then silently mounted his horse. He said to the corporal as he prepared to ride on, “The next time you have a piece of timber for your men to handle, corporal, send for the commander-in-chief.”
It was only then that the corporal and his men realized that the helpful stranger was none other than the president himself – George Washington.
“Reputation is what men and women think of us,” Thomas Paine said, “character is what God and angels know of us.”
For comments, write me at henrytacio@gmail.com
“Don’t worry dad,” the little girl replied, “I’m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.”
That’s what real character is – being bigger on the inside. An anonymous author explained character in these words: “The difference between personality and character: Personality is what you are when lots of people are around; character is what you are when everybody goes home.”
“There is no substitute for character,” reminds Robert A. Cook. “You can buy brains, but you cannot buy character.”
A life built on the sands of celebrity can be wrecked by the rains of reverses. A life built on the sands of materialism can be destroyed by the floods of adversity. A life built on the sands of pleasure can be blown down by the winds of disillusionment. Only the life that is built on the rock of character can withstand the tempests of time.
As a person, you select your own character. You are the creator of yourself. Inspirational speaker John C. Maxwell explains: “We do choose our character. We created it every time we make choice – to cop out or dig out of a hard situation, to bend the truth or stand under the weight of it, to take the easy money or pay the price. As you live your life and make choices today, you are continuing to create your character.”
One character that most people find laudable is integrity. My dictionary defines integrity as “unimpaired condition.” Such attribute is manifested by American novelist John Grisham, author of the blockbuster books that become blockbuster movies. He has been called “a straight arrow making his way along a very crooked path.”
In an earlier interview with a magazine, Grisham has said he would rather be a nice guy than resort to filling his books with sex and gore. He refuses to write anything that would offend or embarrass either his mother or his children.
Contrary to many in the publishing world might have predicted, his approach has paid off big. Fan mail and sales from The Firm and The Pelican Brief are proof. Films made from his novels are box office hits!
Integrity is synonymous with honesty. American president George Washington pointed out: “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”
Rosalie Elliott had made it to the fourth round of a national spelling contest in Washington. The 11-year-old from South Carolina had been asked to spell the word “avowal.” In her soft southern accent she spelled the word, but the judges were not able to determine if she had used an “a” or an “e” as the next to the last letter.
The judges debated among themselves for several minutes as they listened to tape recording playbacks. The crucial letter, however, was too accent-blurred to decipher. Finally, the chief judge put the question to the only person who knew the answer.
“Was the letter an ‘a’ or was it an ‘e’?” he asked Rosalie. By this time, being surrounded by whispering young spellers, Rosalie knew the correct spelling of the word. Still, without hesitation, she replied that she had misspelled the word and she walked from the stage.
Here’s what happened next as reported by one journalist: “The entire audience stood and applauded, including some fifty newspaper reporters. The moment was a heartwarming and proud one for her parents. Even in defeat, she was a victor. Indeed, more has been written about Rosalie Elliott over the years than about the ‘unknown’ winner of the event!”
Someone once said: “The beginning of greatness is to be little, the increase of greatness is to be less, and the perfection of greatness is to be nothing.” He was actually talking about humility.
“Humility is the first of virtues,” Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “for other people.” John Ruskin noted, “I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man…”
Many years ago, a rider on horseback came across a squad of soldiers who were trying to move a heavy piece of timber. The rider noticed that a well-dressed corporal was standing by and giving commands to “heave.” The piece of timber was just a little too heavy, however, for the group of men to move.
“Why don’t you help them?” the man on horseback quietly asked the important corporal. “Me?” the corporal responded with shock in his voice. “Why, I’m a corporal.”
The rider then dismounted and took his place with the soldiers. Smiling at them he said encouragingly, “Now, all together boys – heave!” The big piece of timber moved easily with the help of the additional man. The stranger then silently mounted his horse. He said to the corporal as he prepared to ride on, “The next time you have a piece of timber for your men to handle, corporal, send for the commander-in-chief.”
It was only then that the corporal and his men realized that the helpful stranger was none other than the president himself – George Washington.
“Reputation is what men and women think of us,” Thomas Paine said, “character is what God and angels know of us.”
For comments, write me at henrytacio@gmail.com
