“A good character is the best tombstone.  Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered.  Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.” –Charles Spurgeon

Good character is something that has been lacking in every generation.  However, it is the driving force for all good effects in every single endeavor.

There are five aspects to good character, and we should all strive to have these qualities:

1. Consistency

The first aspect of good character is consistency; people need to know what to expect from you, and that is only possible when you are predictable by having consistency.  If you are the type of person who will be happy, supportive, and positive one day and the next day you will be angry, disruptive, and negative, this shows there is no consistency to your character.  It will keep people wary and apprehensive of you even if they do not show it, and they will not be as receptive to you as if you were consistent.  In the end, your consistency will result in people responding to you and allowing you to be effective.

2. Seeing the potential in others and helping foster that

Next, a person with good character does not fear others’ potential because he knows what he wants in life and he figures out how to achieve that goal.  Because of this, people with good character not only achieve their goals, but they see potential in others and they help foster that potential by guiding those people, advising them, or giving them the resources that will help them realize their potential.

A person with weak character fears others’ potentials because he does not know what he wants in life (and does not figure out nor tries to achieve what he wants, but merely thinks that everything happens organically and by pure luck) and as he drifts and wanders in the world like a feather tossed by the wind, he fears that he will meet another person with realized potential already there in the place where he wanted to be.

3. Positivity

Thirdly, a person with good character is positive.  Negativity is easier to engage in than positivity.  The evidence is all around us: bullies in schools, critics on television, and friends who complain about their lives.  All these never look to the positives but are always negative by belittling others, minimizing others’ achievements, fearing others who may be gaining many friends, and harassing others.  That is not strong character.  Rather, let’s compare: the other students in school who are focused on goals and socialize with people who also focus on goals, which is a positive focus, become the successful businessmen, teachers, doctors, and engineers of tomorrow.  Also, friends who look at the positives end up setting goals together and achieving together more than they would have alone. Positivity is a sign of good character.  Positivity leads to growth; negativity destroys that growth.

4. Humility

Next, a person with good character has humility.  Humility is necessary for learning to occur, and learning is necessary for growth.  A person with good character thus is always willing to learn and applying their learning in order to grow.  If one is arrogant, he usually does not believe that there is more to learn from others, but that he has the answers. Arrogant character leads to stagnation in learning and growth, keeping up with changes in the world, and overall performance in work, home, and the community.

5. Willingness to listen

Finally, connecting to humility, a person with good character is willing to listen to others.  He will sit down with others even if he may not be familiar with what others discuss, he will listen and thus expand his knowledge and background, and if this new knowledge is applied, then his wisdom and effectiveness will increase as well.

How will you develop good character?  What can you be positive about this week?  Is there someone around you that you can learn from?  Who do you want to impact using your good character?