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Perseverance
By Gary Warner, Member
Community Character Coalition of Douglas County
What exactly is perseverance and how can you utilize it to bring about the desired results in your life? There's no denying that perseverance is often required to realize the hopes, dreams, desires and visions we hold for ourselves. Throughout history, those who have persevered have changed the world…like the first cave man that was tired of eating cold meat kept persevering until they could “make fire”, or the two brothers, Orville & Wilbur Wright, who persevered through failures and mistakes, until that day at Kitty Hawk North Carolina, where the age of flight began. Within 66 years from that first flight, a man had stepped on the moon! The determination of countless men and woman, their perseverance, enabled mankind, to soar to heights that had only been dreamed about! By remaining steadfast and determined in whatever it may be that you desire to see manifest in your life, is of crucial importance if you are to bring about those results that you truly do desire. We all had to learn to speak in order to communicate with others. All of these things, of course, require perseverance. Developing the perseverance to hold fast and shift ones thinking provides the greatest assistance in fulfilling whatever it might be that you desire to accomplish. So why is it that perseverance is sometimes necessary and at other times it seems that things just come into our lives with almost magical ease? The answer to that is based on what you have previously established to be truth for you. “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right”, this is one of my favorite quotes from Henry Ford. I encourage you today to persevere. Sometimes it takes the changing of your thinking to get the results that you want. Perseverance will empower you to reach your goals. Winston Churchill once said, “Never, never, never ever give up!” Now that’s Perseverance.
Courage
I've been asked by the Community Character Coalition to write about this month's character word: courage. According to Webster, courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Courage is often confused with daring. Daring is being willing to take or seek out risks. To be bold and venturesome. What's the difference? If you're daring, you seek out risks. If you have courage, you withstand danger and fear.
On a coastal island near Charleston South Carolina, the highway curves sharply leading from a large area of marsh onto the island itself. This is known as Blanchard's curve, and it was often the scene of accidents. One Saturday night a teenage driver announced to his friends that he could take the curve at over 90 miles an hour. He was dared to do it. One of the teenagers demanded to be let out of the car. He was jeered at for being a coward. It was the middle of the night, and he was put out in the middle of miles of marsh on a lonely road, long before the invention of cell phones. All of the others died a few seconds later. It took daring to stay in the car. It took courage to get out. This type of courage involved the ability to make his own decision about what he should do, and his ability to stand behind that decision. Staying in the car would have meant his overcoming his fear of danger, but, if the danger is real and unnecessary, fear is a very useful thing. Staying in the car would have also been driven by fear of being rejected by his friends. He had the courage to confront that fear and to stay true to himself. Unfortunately, I've seen this confusion about what true courage is repeat itself all too often, and alcohol often increased the danger and decreased the judgment.
The source of confusion about courage may be that when we're young, we often haven't enough confidence in what we really believe in and what is of the most importance in our lives, so we're too willing to follow others. In a 1948 movie “The Time of Your Life” the character played by James Cagney said, ““Living is an art. It's not book keeping. It takes an awful lot of rehearsal for a man to get to be himself.” It does.
For many, the first real understanding of one's character begins in the military. Often in military combat, heroes tell us that their belief is in their unit, that there is a common bond of trust and the understanding that each soldier will do his job when the situation demands it. On a recent National Public Radio program, one soldier in Afghanistan described it as knowing that the one person in the platoon you hate the most would risk his life to save yours, and that you would do the same.
The first living Medal of Honor winner since the Vietnam War, Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, described his act of heroism when his unit was ambushed in the night. His best friend was wounded and being dragged off by two Afghans. He rescued his friend and helped his unit repel the ambush, despite incredible danger and having his vest and weapon hit by gunfire. He described it as a painting: "I did what I did because in the scheme of painting the picture of that ambush, that was just my brush stroke. That’s not above and beyond. I didn’t take the biggest brush stroke, and it wasn’t the most important brush stroke.” For him, living does seem to be an art.
Sgt. Giunta saw his actions as a brush stroke in the painting that night. When we find ourselves confronting danger and fear, we need to understand our own painting, and what our brush stroke of courage should be. We should understand that it's often very wise to be afraid, but we shouldn't to be afraid of fear. True courage is confronting and understanding fear. How you do that is your brush stroke of courage. You should persevere through danger, fear and difficulty, because the character that you have painstakingly created can find no other course. You should be a work of art, not to be risked just to impress others, but to be treasured. Making that artwork all that it can be is the truest test of courage. Charles Branson, Board Member
HONESTY
I was asked to write an article on the character trait for the month of February by the Community Character Coalition of Douglas County, of which I am a proud member. In an ironic twist, the character trait turned out to be honesty. As a law enforcement officer of more than 32 years, I have dealt with the issue of honesty on thousands of occasions. Honesty can have varied definitions but I see it as simply being truthful and fair. Wow, what a concept; tell the truth and treat people fairly. America’s founding fathers felt it was so crucial that our entire Criminal Justice System derives its roots from the concept of honesty. Some people will focus on the issue of honesty only as it relates to an accused, but what about the need for honesty in the law enforcement officer making the case; the prosecutor who is deciding how to proceed; the jury and court officials in hearing a case; and even the corrections staff that may be required to supervise them. Other synonyms for honesty would be integrity or trustworthiness.
I recently saw a local billboard that read “a good example has more impact than good advice.” If there was ever a word that impacts a person’s character, it would be honesty. Your level of honesty is a direct reflection on your character and can be one of the pivotal issues on how others see you. Look at any application for employment or education and there will be questions directly related to honesty. Slogans such as “honesty is the best policy,” “honest and hard working,” and “let’s be honest” clearly demonstrate the importance that our society places on this valued character trait. Honesty and trustworthiness can be found in the teachings of all major faiths around the world including biblical references such as Luke 16:10 (NIV) which states, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
The choices we all make early in life can truly make a difference in how we are perceived by others, particularly in the area of honesty. Teaching our children that no matter how much education they receive, how many skills they have, or what their status in society is, they will ultimately be judged on the basis of their character. Remember that a half truth is most often seen as a whole lie.
Stan Copeland, Chief Deputy Sheriff and Board Member
Community Character Coalition of Douglas County
LEADERSHIP
When I think of leadership, I think of kids I grew up with who were the natural leaders on the playground. There seemed to be comparatively little doubt as to who they were. Abraham Lincoln was a boy like that, making stump speeches to his playmates. So was Benjamin Franklin, directing activities in the mud flats of the Charles River in Boston. It's also clear that they cared about and sought to serve those they led. Of course it seems the childhood leaders I grew up with in a small community didn't make it into the annals like Lincoln and Franklin. I don't even know that they were leaders in adulthood. I know for certain that some of them weren't. Maybe it is the rare lifelong leaders alone whose “distant footsteps echo through the corridors of this time.” But what of the rest of us? What qualities might we possess that qualify us as leaders?
I can't help thinking of the image of New York's Mayor Giuliani during the aftermath of September 11th. No matter what your politics were, you had to recognize him as the leader that the city needed. In his book Leadership, Giuliani listed his principles of great leadership: “Surround yourself with great people. Have beliefs and communicate them. See things for yourself. Set an example. Stand up to bullies. Deal with first things first. Loyalty is the vital virtue. Prepare relentlessly. Underpromise and overdeliver. .... “ Certainly a recipe for a successful leader and the vision of a leader who truly cares about the people he leads.
By beginning with “surround yourself with great people,” Giuliani meant other leaders. There can certainly, and hopefully, be leaders in every part of an organization. Robert K. Greenleaf in his book Servant Leadership expresses it this way: “Discriminating and determined servants as followers are as important as servant-leaders and everyone, from time to time, may be in both roles. “ The concept of servant leadership can encompass leaders who serve the organization and key members of the organization. The point is that caring about the good of all, and striving for better outcomes are far more important than just wanting to be the leader.
Somehow I'm reminded of a terrible joke I heard recently. The big animals were playing football against the small animals. Every time the big animals got the ball, the Gorilla would hand it off to the Rhino. The Elephant would be the lead blocker and the big animals would gain major yardage. At the end of the half, they were ahead 45 to nothing. The first time they tried the same play in the second half, they were thrown for a 5 yard loss. Then again and again they were thrown for a loss. The Centipede was making all the tackles. Back in the defensive huddle, the Squirrel asked the Centipede where he was in the first half. The Centipede said “I was taping my ankles.”
We are all leaders if we truly care about the people around us, have beliefs and communicate them, see things for ourselves and set an example, and embrace all the other virtues of true leaders, whether we're involved in business, government or charities. So often we sit on the sidelines, watch others try to lead, and blame them when the results that we all need are not achieved. So often a hand full of people are the only ones out there trying to find a better course. The challenge is for all of us to get involved, contribute and learn to be leaders. When this happens the real leaders among us won't care how long it took us to tape our ankles. Charles Branson, Board Member
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“Courtesy to Others”
by Karmen Thornton
For years Boy Scouts all across the world have vowed to follow the Scout Law, “A Scout is Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, COURTEOUS, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.” Great American, John Wayne once said “the twelve points of the Scout Law are "nice words. Trouble is we learn them so young we sometimes don't get all the understanding that goes with them. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him, with a few things I have picked up in more than half a century since I learned it." Courtesy is the fourth point in the Scout Law which means showing good manners while being polite. It’s not only important to Scouts but it’s important to be apply each and every day by society.
Wayne saw the importance of the individual points and lived by them to the best of his ability. As he worked with young children he was a shining example of great character who showed courtesy to others. “Allow each person his human dignity which means a lot more than saying, "yes ma'am" and "thank you sir,” Wayne stated.” It reflects an attitude that later in life you wish you had honored more... earlier in life,” Wayne said at a dinner gathering for the John Wayne Outpost Camp.
Parents, educators, volunteers and coaches should be following John Wayne’s example by teaching courtesy in classrooms, meetings and ball fields. Francis Bacon, Sr. once stated, “If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.” In today’s society it is hard to find courtesy but should be strived for.
CHEERFULNESS AND CARING
Ann Jones Guider, Chairman of CCC
Many of you who have children in the school system are aware of the fact that Georgia Law requires Character training; and , as a result of this requirement, the school system has “character words” which they emphasize each week. Two words for the month of November are Cheerfulness and Caring.
Mark Twain is quoted as saying “The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer someone else up.” Actually, this famous author has linked the two words of cheerfulness and caring together in his statement. So often we all concentrate too much on ourselves and our wants that we begin to live a very selfish and envious life, which creates insecurity and low self-esteem within our own lives. Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life, once wrote that people with low self-esteem feel threatened by others we perceive as being “better” than us, whether it be in beauty, status, education, or by the clothes they wear.
Cheerfulness is inner joy that comes with confidence in knowing who we really are and our value as a unique person. Unfortunately, people often lack this joy because of the confusion caused when we put more emphasis on who others say we are or should be. If we have a spirit of self-worth and high self-esteem, our confidence will grow allowing us to make choices that are good for us and others, rather than wallowing in self-pity and envy. There is a Proverb in the Bible that says, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” We all need to guard our hearts from the lies of the world and seek to discover who we really are inside and how valuable we are as an individual.
Cheerfulness is also something we cannot keep to ourselves. When we have a cheerful heart, we will want to share that inner joy with others and to be caring and concerned for others. Our light will brighten every other life we touch.
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