Tag: quote

Categories
motivation

The Power of Character

"If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of me." Dwight L. Moody

Today is D. L. Moody’s birthday. He was born 185 years ago today. I found a quote that goes along with what I’ve been pondering lately. There is a lot of power in character.

“If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of me.

Dwight L. Moody

Dwight L. Moody Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dwight_l_moody_157636, accessed February 5, 2022.

The other day, I used a Thomas Paine quote about character and reputation. I suppose it has been heavy on my mind because of past leaders that have fallen when their character didn’t match what they preached.

In fact, it seems we have gotten to a place where we try to ignore the character of leaders. We know they don’t practice what they preach, but we assume no one else does either.

Deep down, we know we can’t trust someone with lousy character. Charisma can only do so much. Talent is not enough to overcome immorality. A preacher with an excellent presentation ends up doing more harm than good when they are found to be dishonest.

Perhaps we want to support the crooked leader because we feel we have no choice. Besides, their words resonate with us. They utter what we would like to say to someone if we had the courage.

brown wooden blocks with number
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

Let’s Build Our Character

There are still good people out there. They have taken care of their character and therefore have the credibility to speak what is good. We can be virtuous. If we have faltered in the past (and who hasn’t slipped and faltered), we can work to build our integrity today.

Integrity comes from honesty. No, none of us are righteous. Especially me! Indeed, when we’re honest about our shortcomings, it builds integrity, honor, and trust. Being upright doesn’t mean we are perfect. It means we are honest with ourselves and others.

Like D. L. Moody said, let’s work on the power of our character. When we do, our reputations will be protected.

Categories
motivation

Advice is Like Snow

My post will be a little short today because we had plenty of snow at my house this morning. This guy got to shovel a lot of the white stuff for my morning workout.

“Advice is like snow – the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge
trees covered with snow
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

May the advice you receive be soft and help you make the changes you desire. I will strive to do that tomorrow when there is hopefully a little less snow to shovel.

Categories
motivation

Sit Still!

“I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man’s being unable to sit still in a room.”

Blaise Pascal

There is a time for everything. Unfortunately, we tend to not know when it is time to move and when we should sit still. We value action much more than contemplation, don’t we?

There is always a sales goal that we must meet. We have a production goal that has to be fulfilled. And who can forget that job that is very, smoking hot? And of course, there are plenty of distractions all around. How can our kids be so fidgety when we have work to do?

There are goals that need to be met. However, if there isn’t any time to sit still, we can lose focus on what is really important. It isn’t easy when we have so many demands.

brown tree with snow
Photo by Simon Berger on Pexels.com

Today, a winter storm is brewing where I live. Some of us will be forced to slow down and perhaps think for a while. It isn’t what any of us planned. But perhaps it is what we need to stop, sit still, and consider the bigger picture. May we all get a chance to stop and contemplate for a while. At the very least, it may be able to prevent us from some kind of human evil!

Categories
motivation

Ambition and Happiness

“Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date.” Dale Carnegie

My wife and I have a cat that is perpetually seeking the perfect lap. She wants the person whose lap she occupies to have her undivided attention. Her goal is to rest on top of our arms so that we can’t do anything but pay attention to her. She has a disconnect between ambition and happiness.

The cat is rarely satisfied. She leaves our lap not because she is content, but because she has given up on having us submit to her desires.

Cat lying on top of a Bible
Miley, the Cat, on the Word ©2022 Kevin Spear

A lot of us are like that. We want something that is just out of reach. We are convinced we won’t be happy until we achieve a goal. Our ambition drives us to discontentment if we aren’t careful.

I too have ambition and If I am not careful, I can allow it to put off happiness. I can be so focused on the future, I miss out on what good things are happening today. A quote by Dale Carnegie reminds me how foolish this can be.

“Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don’t put off being happy until some future date.”

Dale Carnegie

We can get too busy to have fun. We try to hustle today to make things happen for tomorrow. But what if we are missing out on today’s blessings?

Don’t postpone happiness! We can pursue goals and have ambitions without sacrificing today’s well-being.

  • Count our blessings and write them down
  • Have a conversation with a loved one
  • If today is frustrating, ask “What does today make possible?”
  • Go for a walk and take in some nature

It is good to have ambitions. But don’t forget we have today to enjoy as well.

Categories
motivation

Character and Reputation

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

Thomas Paine was born 285 years ago today on January 29, 1737. He was a revolutionary and author of the pamphlet, Common Sense among others. He knew a few things about character and reputation. As I was reading some of his quotes, this one stood out to me.

“Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.”
Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_paine_117868, accessed January 29, 2022.

Reputation

Our reputations are valuable currency. They are the result of many decisions and actions we have made throughout our lives. We can earn part of it while other parts are the opinions of friends and enemies.

We can have a great reputation with those within our tribe and a notorious reputation with those who oppose our views. Influence comes from our words and actions. If both are in agreement, our reputation can give us authority and good stature. It may even give us fame and prominence.

When making any to hire someone, we value a good reputation. After all, when we search for a babysitter, we want someone who is dependable, good-natured, and great with our children. We value a babysitter’s trustworthiness.

However, our standing can fall due to the gossip and opinion of others. The tribe we associate with may change their views. One generation holds one view while the other has a different value.

We have both an individual reputation and one that others ascribe to our group. And yes, our group can change. While we were once part of the younger generation, we age. Elders once thought we were radical, but the younger generation may think we are fuddy-duddy. It happens fast!

While we can control part of our reputation, other parts are out of our control. In the end, it is simply what others think of us.

Character

Therefore, Thomas Paine’s quote reminds me how important character is. It is who we are behind closed doors. It is the choices we make when no one is watching.

  • Do we do the right thing every time, or only when we have an audience?
  • Are the words we speak in line with what we ourselves are doing?
  • Are we more concerned with our prominence than living who we really are?

Unfortunately, someone can have a great reputation, but lousy character… at least for a time. But I have seen so many people held in high-esteem fall because their true character was revealed. No one can keep up a charade forever. If our reputation is great, but our character is lousy, it will be revealed sooner or later.

My prayer is that all of us may have a good reputation and character. While the first may not always be in our control, the second is definitely up to us.