Character

Character is powerful.

I think of it metaphorically as a pack of Greenlandish sled dogs.

After Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911, he said the most important reason for the success of his expedition was his carefully selected sled dogs. His counterpart, Robert Scott, chose Siberian ponies instead. Scott and his crew reached the South Pole too, but it took much longer. Plus, they froze to death before they made it all the way back.

It is not that Siberian ponies lack what it takes to face extreme weather conditions. It is just that the right pack of Greenlandish sled dogs have more of what it takes.

We build character in a similar fashion. By carefully selecting a set of ways in which we will face the challenges of life. Here is a very strong set of five: Courage. Humility. Wisdom. Respect. Dreams.

These are personal qualities that develop as we fall in love with the world outside ourselves. “Lift your eyes and look away from yourself,” they say. “Then you will change from the inside out. In the ways you desire. And it will last over the long haul.”

What a strange dynamic that internal change happens to us when we do not focus on changing ourselves, but on loving something that is not ourselves.

I am devoted to the kind of professional development that focuses on personal character. If you are interested in knowing more, please contact me.