Almost every day when I drive home from work, I listen to one of my favorite podcasts. Last week, I heard one that caught my attention. You see, for the last couple of weeks, I’ve sensed a recurring theme. When I hear something once, I may or may not pay much attention. When I hear it more than once, that is my red flag to pay more attention.
The guest on the podcast spoke about the importance of focusing on one’s character more than one’s talent. Not only did a podcast mention this quality, a couple of people at work complimented on my character. It was quite humbling and challenging. Theme? Character. Application? Pay attention.
Administrative vocational training includes the importance of paying attention to everything. After serving the profession almost four decades, I understand the necessity of adhering to a high expectation of confidentiality and one’s character. So, I constantly train my eyes to watch and my ears to listen. Observe people and surroundings. Listen to conversations. Why? To remain alert and learn about others—and to understand their character.
Dennis Prager goes a step further and connects our character to our relationships. He states, “Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.”
Our Connections Challenge: When connecting character to relationships and to excellence, do I sense the challenge to personally exhibit these character traits while building relationships? Is there a character trait I could improve? Am I exhibiting a good character? What will others say about me? What will others say about you?
Connections2Excellence 