InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 287 - January 2015 - We shape our own character
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

We shape our own character

There's no doubt that our character has a profound effect on our future. What we must remember, however, is not merely how powerful character is in influencing our destiny, but how powerful we are in shaping our own character and, therefore, our own destiny. Character may determine our fate, but character is not determined by fate.

It's a common mistake to think of character as something that is fully formed and fixed very early in life. It calls to mind old maxims like 'A leopard can't change its spots' and 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks.'

This perspective that our character is 'etched in stone' is supported by a great deal of modern psychology emphasizing self-acceptance. As Popeye says . . . 'I am what I am.' The hidden message is . . . don't expect me to be more, better, or different.

Ultimately, these views of humanity totally undervalue the lifelong potential for growth that comes with the power of reflection and choice.

How depressing it would be to believe that we can't choose to be better, more honest, more respectful, more responsible, and more caring. None of us should give up the personal quest to improve our character. Not because we're bad, we don't have to be sick to get better . . . but because we're not as good as we could be.

There are so many things in life we can't control, whether we're beautiful or smart, whether we had good parents or bad, whether we grew up with affirmation or negation . . . it's uplifting to remember that nothing but moral will power is needed to make us better.

No, it isn't easy. But if we strive to become more aware of the habits of heart and mind that drive our conduct, we can begin to place new emphasis on our higher values so that we become what we want our children to think we are.

Written by Michael Josephson

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Lessons from Geese

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The House of 1000 Mirrors

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could.

To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly.

As he left the House, he thought to himself, 'This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often.'

In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him.

As he left, he thought to himself, 'That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again.'

All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?

Author Unknown

- Inspirational Quote -

Throughout all history, the great wise men and teachers, philosophers, and prophets have disagreed with one another on many different things. It is only on this one point that they are in complete and unanimous agreement. We become what we think about
Earl Nightingale 

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A monthly positive inspirational story and quote to refresh your spirit and boost the emotional bank account. InspirEmail was first published in November 2005 and each issue can be viewed in the Archived InspirEmail Directory located below the latest issue of InspirEmail


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