Trust30 day 1 – Character

So, Seth Godin's Domino Project has created this 30 day challenge. Each day they send you a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance", and you're supposed to reflect on it and write a post. And since I apparently need some kind of external motivator to get my fingers over a key board and making the clickity-clack sounds, I signed up.

Here's today's quote:

Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. The force of character is cumulative."

The force of character is cumulative. Boy, isn't that the truth. You build it day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. I was talking to a friend of mine about my smartphone the other day, and how because of the "plasticity" of the device – the apps, their placement, the backgrounds, etc. – the device becomes a reflection of the person who holds it. Character is the same way, only infinitely more so. After all, after a few years and a contract expiration, you can get a bright new fresh smartphone. Character, however, has no carrier switching. And the price is the same for everyone – good character comes from consistent good action. And I mean action in the broadest possible sense – in as much as thinking is a verb, your thoughts are actions. Your thoughts, beliefs, focus, and discipline have just as much an impact on your character as anything else. Maybe more so, as thought precedes action.

Not only is character cumulative, it can be dispersed in a heartbeat. An inappropriate statement, an act of passion, a flash of temper, a biting comment, a lapse in self-discipline, can destroy character whether there's anyone there to witness it or not. I'm not talking about reputation here. I'm talking about inner strength.

Emerson says that conformity tells us nothing about you. (One could get into the weeds of who or what are we conforming to, but maybe we'll discuss that another time.) Let's say that I was in a place where other people might question my beliefs. Could be my politics, my religion, my views on family. Or it could be my preference for Mac or PC. For Star Wars or Star Trek. For Tolkien or Butcher. In an unfamiliar situation, in a place where you feel like the minority, it can be easy to stay quiet, or nod and smile. (Nodding and smiling can apparently get you into interesting situations, I found out this weekend.) Not standing up and not standing out can be tempting.

But when you do that, you erode your own character. You weaken your resolve. You make it easier to sit down and shut up next time. I'm all for picking your battles.

But I'm all for having them, too.

In order to rely on yourself, you must have a self to rely upon. And that self is made up of your own personal choices. You decide who you are. You show the world who you are by those choices – the actions you take. Stand up. Speak out. Decide what you want, and start taking steps toward it. Decide what you want to be – who you want to be. Show the world – and yourself – that you are that person by acting accordingly. In a sense, you participate in the act of creation every day as you create your character. Make yourself.