The Two Most Important Things...

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new, incredibly cold, day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! I also sincerely hope that 2022 is off to a great start for each one of you! 😊

This weeks “Happy Friday” is going to fall into the category of one man’s opinion with a heavy dose of encouragement! At the end of the day each one of us must decide, we will decide, how we will live our lives, what we will stand for, and with that, what we are willing to give our lives to! It’s the one life each one of us has the honor and privilege of living…I hope and pray that we will all choose to live it well!

Both points I am going to make in this “Happy Friday” are based on things I read and heard in the last couple of weeks. The more I have thought about them, I truly do believe – other than accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior! 😊 – they are the two most important things in life.

O.K., so I am going to start off this first one with a confession; I don’t remember the exact quote! Augh! I have reread Facebook posts and tweets, I have looked through notes I have written and a book I am reading, I have looked at old Bible studies…Nothing! I can’t find it anywhere. So, it was something like, “Don’t let your platform be greater than your character” or maybe it was something like, “If your platform is greater than your character you will fall” or it could have even been, “Your platform will never be greater than the level of your character” (thanks, Payton, but I still don’t think that is exactly right! ☹). Regardless, you get the point, if your platform is greater than your character, you are in trouble!!!

Character, the one thing we all have that we have nurtured and developed from the time we were children. We own it! We can’t blame it on our situation or circumstances, our successes or our failures…it is formed by the countless choices we have made over time! I am sorry if you don’t like reading it, there are parts of all our stories that we are not particularly proud of, however just because we don’t like the way it looks or sounds, does not mean it is not true. If only we will accept responsibility for it, we will then have the power to change and control it. Just as we did not get where we are today in one single step, we won’t get to where we want to be in one step however, we can take a thousand little steps, one at a time, day by day, that will lead us to being the person that we want to be, that we can be proud of.

So, I would argue, that the #1 most important thing is our character. And please, let me be clear, having good character does not guarantee worldly success just as bad character does not guarantee that someone will not have worldly success…just the way it works. Having good character however will give you the greatest gift of all…a deep peace in your heart, regardless of your situation, circumstance, success, and/or failures. While I would absolutely love to be a “success” in my chosen field of endeavor – and I sincerely hope you are too!!! 😊 – I am far more concerned that I develop my character to be the man I was created to become so that when I look into the mirror, I can be proud of the man looking back at me!

I am going to be thinking and praying a lot about this one! I am going to pray for wisdom – the Bible tells me it will be given to me if only I will ask the Holy Spirit for it – and I am going to determine – in my mind, heart, and spirit – to be a man of great character. 54-years of living this life have taught me that there will be days and seasons where I do better than others, that my commitment will be tested in mighty, unimaginable, ways. I have also learned that His mercy and grace is new each day, that if I have the courage to stand up again the next day, regardless of the successes or failures of the day before and continue to walk out what I have already determined in my mind, heart, and spirit to do, I will in fact become the man He created me to become. I will be able to stand on whatever platform He gives me! 😊

In addition to praying for wisdom and making a decision about the life I will live, I have also found that quotes educate and inspire me. With this, I am going to share some that I found that spoke to my heart.

“People of character do the right thing even if no one else does, not because they think it will change the world but because they refuse to be changed by the world.” – Michael Josephson

“Character, not circumstances, makes the man.” – Booker T. Washington

“When character is lost, all is lost.” – Billy Graham

“Character is revealed when pressure is applied.” – Unknown

“You express the truth of your character with the choice of your actions.” – Steve Maraboli

“No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller

“Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are to some extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece by thought, choice, courage, and determination.” – John Luther

“Character is destiny.” – Heraclitus

“Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming.” – Jim Rohn

I know the 2^nd one!!! 😊 I was listening to an At The Table podcast with Patrick Lencioni. The podcast I was listening to was titled, “Being Smart is Overrated.” He is not advocating against being smart or the importance of strategic leadership and vision. What he is talking about is being more concerned about having a healthy organization – be it a family, a church or other non-profit, a business, etc. And what does healthy look like? People feel valued and appreciated and they have good relationships with one another. Who knew?!?! People and the relationships we have with them…the 2^nd most important thing!!! And by the way, if we don’t have good character, we will struggle to truly value and appreciate people and our relationships will be a toxic mess! I digress….

I want to strongly encourage each one of us to truly value and appreciate people…all people! Every person has value, meaning, and purpose…there is no junk! Please, let’s intentionally value and appreciate them, treat them with respect. Perhaps they are not people of good character, or they have made bad choices, we are not valuing and appreciating them because of who they are per se, we are valuing and appreciating them because of who we are! Remember, our situation and circumstances do not define our character! And then one that punches me in the gut every time…please think about this one… ”You will never look into the eyes of a person that God does not love.” – Unknown

And I also want to encourage each one of us to build pure, authentic relationships with others. People, and our relationships with them, give life meaning and bring great joy. Please, don’t wait for someone to reach out a hand, reach first. Invite someone to lunch or dinner. Be the first to say “Hi.” Be genuinely interested in others and their lives.

One final word; please remember, the Bible does not say “get along with everyone.” Some people will not reciprocate when you reach out a hand, are kind, etc. That is just the way it is. Please don’t be mean, rude, disrespectful, etc. The Bible does say, “so much as it is up to you, get along with everyone.” That is something all of us control and it is a reflection of our character! 😊

I am going to close with a powerful quote that we will all need at some point in time or another…

“You will not always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.” – Unknown

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families, please stay well, and have a healthy, prosperous, and Happy New Year! 😊

Kev