Less than a century ago, most individuals were deeply concerned about the "content of their character". As the English language evolved and some words fell into relative disuse, the word "character" also changed its meaning in everyday usage. Today it is most often used to refer to a cartoon creation, or someone who is eccentric. Unfortunately, no word has been created to take the place of the original meaning of "character". The Webster's dictionary defines character as:
Character: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual
and further defines a sound character as:
a person with moral excellence and firmness.
The concern of people in the 18th and 19th centuries was with this sound character, and the word character simply came to be understood as sound character.
Why was there such emphasis on this rather intangible term? Is it purely a left over from the great age of religions? Why does this issue of character show up the world over, culture after culture, country after country, and age after age? Is a sound character relevant only if you are a religious person? Is it irrelevant in our lives today? What does it have to do with wealth building?
Let us start by defining a few simple qualities of a sound character:
Trustworthy
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Integrity - i.e., being true to oneself
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Honesty - i.e., being true in all of one's relationships
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Ethical - i.e. - seeking out the right action in the larger context of the world and its inhabitants
Humans are on this planet as arguably the most consciousness-aware of all species, and thus carry a special responsibility. We need to bring in an increasing amount of awareness within ourselves about our place and role in this world, and not continue to act at a level below thought, following short-sighted instant gratification programs. Humans are the only known species that can act at a level above thought - being able to control our actions and use our minds to bring about wondrous changes in the world. But our responsibility is such that those changes we bring about need to be in alignment with the unfolding story of the world, and perhaps the Universe itself.
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Character is the first principle that can help us deliver on this awesome responsibility.
As the first step in developing integrity, honesty and ethical behavior, one must display these qualities when the going is good! If even in good times we are unable to show integrity - i.e. trueness to oneself, display honesty with everyone, and practice good ethics - then what will we descend to when the times get tough? Actually we know the answer - simply look at the inhuman behavior we display quite often in the midst of war, floods, famine and plague towards fellow human beings in need.
We can change all of that by starting with ourselves. Each of us, as an individual, makes an enormous difference in this world, and if we are able to bring the intangible qualities of a sound character into our everyday lives, we positively affect ourselves and those we come in touch with. As more of us practice this form of firm living, we will soon reach a tipping point where a rapidly increasing number of individuals will begin engaging in this as well. Sooner, rather than later, the effects will be reflected in our local, and then national, leadership, then slowly spread across the world.
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Just as the structure of an atom reflects the structure of the Universe itself, so does the make-up of one individual, in correct alignment with the world and nature, point to the right path for all of human society. Be that change. Be that person.
Allow sound character to take deep roots within you, so that it will hold you during turbulent and good times. And be as true to yourself as you can possibly be. We are bombarded with images of "successful" people - but being a multi-billionaire or flipping burgers at a fast food joint has little to do with success. What is more crucial is to know whether you are living your life in full alignment with your natural talents and abilities.
Back in the late '60s, because of the race to the moon, mathematicians were in high demand. But after about 1973, the demand for mathematicians dropped like a ton of brick. The many mathematicians who had now graduated from the Universities found themselves without a job, and turned towards computer science as the the next big hope. In the late 1990s a similar phenomena occurred with the Information Technology (IT) field - as everyone and his dog was vying to be in the IT field. The dot.com crash occurred in 2000-01, and suddenly the seats in computer science departments were going empty! These are examples of how we continue to follow short-term gratification pathways (incidentally, there is an algorithm in computer science that follows this exact behavior - and it is called, appropriately enough, the "Greedy Algorithm" - and it does not always solve all problems!).
Instead, if one had listened to one's own self, taken the time to explore multiple avenues, and realized that playing the violin was one's natural destiny, one might have made a musician out of oneself - rather than trying to be in the IT field! If indeed the violin was the ticket to a happy life, doors would have opened, sometimes almost as if by magic, to propel one to success in that field!
That is the power of character! It helps bring you in alignment with the larger unfolding story of the world, and opens doors that you did not even realize existed! Hence the strong emphasis on this simple trait through many generations.
At this site (http://www.characterandwealth.com) we seek to present multiple ideas for you to do better in your career, or launch a small business, and smooth out your personal finances and investments - so that following your dreams does not have to come at the expense of wealth building activities. We are confident however that once you find yourself in alignment with yourself, your income and wealth will grow by large multiples as the forces of nature themselves ease your path and propel you forward to new heights, much as a flower blooms on a plant.