character

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Character is something that is often on the mind of moms with teenagers. It's definitely on this mom's mind.  When my kids were small, I wanted to teach them to be the best that they knew to be, and I did teach, and they did learn, but now it's like they have to put into practice everything that they learned about character and good habits from the time they were little.  It becomes sort of an experimental time and sometimes seems so much easier for them to do rediculously mindless things without using the brain in their heads! But it also becomes a great time for them to see the difference that they can make in the world and in the lives of others and how it makes them feel.  I have also found that these years are bringing me plenty of opportunities to refine my character...

From the first time I saw this quote, I loved it because it reminds us of where our true character comes from.  It also helps us remember the control that we have over who we become. 

I've been doing a little bit of studying about this and came across this talk that made me think.  I've included a few of my favorite parts:

 

Good Habits Develop Good Character

-Delbert L. Stapley

 

"A favorite saying often quoted by the late President David O. McKay was “We sow our thoughts, and we reap our actions; we sow our actions, and we reap our habits; we sow our habits, and we reap our characters; we sow our characters, and we reap our destiny.”

We are not born into this world with fixed habits. Neither do we inherit a noble character. Instead, as children of God, we are given the privilege and opportunity of choosing which way of life we will follow—which habits we will form.

Confucius said that the nature of men is always the same. It is their habits that separate them.

Good habits are not acquired simply by making good resolves, though the thought must precede the action. Good habits are developed in the workshop of our daily lives. It is not in the great moments of test and trial that character is built. That is only when it is displayed. The habits that direct our lives and form our character are fashioned in the often uneventful, commonplace routine of life. They are acquired by practice.

Our great challenge is to learn how to control ourselves. We must learn for ourselves and act for ourselves...
We should become so involved in acquiring good quality traits and participating in character-building activities that there is no time to engage in anything worthless or harmful. Our habits should be those that make us susceptible to faith and testimony.

Let us dare to be different from the ways of the world when its ways are not the ways of God. In a world troubled with selfish greed, dishonesty, and dishonor, let us set ourselves on a higher path, striving to develop and strengthen the qualities of unselfish service with wholehearted effort, dependability, honesty, morality, and every other good attribute that would lead us to integrity of character. We begin, then, with our thoughts and end with our eternal destiny. Our destiny is determined by our character, and our character is the sum and expression of our habits. Character is won by hard work.

Maintaining good personal habits which are pleasing to our Heavenly Father will strengthen our character, increase our influence for good, improve our example, bless our loved ones and friends, enrich our lives, and enable us to accomplish those things that yield true personal satisfaction and build peace and happiness in our hearts. We will have joy eternally, possessing a treasure to be much desired and sought after, for the Lord gives this assurance: “Inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.” (DandC 58:28.)

It all starts with a single step—we decide that we can do it."

If you are interested in reading this talk in its entirety, it can be found here.
For more thoughts on character, read Developing Character- Insights from President David O. McKay (1873–1970)

 keep smiling!