“The final estimate of men shows that history cares not one iota for the rank or title a man has born, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart.” – Samuel Brengle

 We talk a lot about the principles of success and the having a Christian Biblical worldview.  These are important and essential for those who wish to succeed in life.  But far more important is the character and values held by Success-Minded People.  Good character and a solid value system are the things that make up a person.  They are not dependent on circumstances, other people or rewards.  It is really the other way around, circumstances, relationships and rewards are all dependent on our character and values.

 FIVE QUALITIES

So what are the qualities that a Success-Minded Person should be cultivating in their life?  I believe that there are five main qualities that make up the character of a winner.  They are: Being your best, Having good manners, Loving God, Discovering the unknown, and Improving your world.  We will be looking at each quality in detail in future blogs, but for now I want us to focus on the need to build good character.

The great D.L. Moody said, “Character is what you are in the dark.”  Your character is not what you put on for others or fake to make an impression.  Your character defines you and who you truly are.  It is there in your private and public Life.  But it is something that you develop and cultivate.  You cannot excuse bad character by saying that is just who you are.  I am amazed when people cover their behavior or their unwillingness to change by saying, “That is just who I am.  I can’t change it.”  The truth is my friend that it is the only thing you can change.

 CHOOSE WHO YOU WILL BE

God has given you power over only one thing in the entire universe and that is yourself.  You cannot change others, the weather or any other part of your world, you can only change yourself.  You choose how you will behave, what you will believe and how you treat others.  It is all in your control and you are responsible for it.  When you decide to be honest with yourself and take responsibility you can see great things happen in your life.  Brian Tracy said, “Deal honestly and objectively with yourself; intellectual honesty and personal courage are the hall marks of great character.”

Do not feel discouraged because your character and values are not where you would like them to be.  We all have our faults and no one has made it to perfection outside of Jesus Himself.  As I said, character is built and developed.  It takes time and hard work but you can do it.  English historian James A. Froude said “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”  Remember that we are sinners by nature and we must work to walk in righteousness.  When we stop working we slid back into corruption, selfishness and sin.  But you are a Success-Minded Person.  You have a passion for what is right and you were made to be a winner.

 © 2011 John Patrick Hickey