How To Build Good Character

Building good character is all about addition, not subtraction. What I niggard is this: when it comes to change, our focal point is much on the aspects of our lives that are bad. We try to cut out or cut off these negative or bad qualities. We try to improve by subtraction. That is not how you build good character.

It is the process of addition in your life that brings the character. In so doing, you automatically take care of the other negative aspects. As both a father and a pastor of a Sanctuary, I look for ways to continually add to the character of those I am in charge for. The Bible teaches us this concept in 2 Peter 1: 5 - 9. We are to add things like advantage, patience, love, forbearance, faith, and so on. It is the process of adding these things to our lives that we gain the character to be fruitful in life.

But how do you add these things? First, let ' s look at what character is. Character is the subconscious doing of right. When doing things that you ought to do is instinctive and part of you then that is good character. When you program up on time out of habit that is good character. When you ' re honest by reflex that is good character. When you can force yourself to be empathetic instinctively that is good character. When something defective or bad is done habitually we call those bad habits. Doing things good or right out of habit is called good character.

It is not about taking away the negative. It is about adding those things to your life that become habitual. It is not about trying to not be dilatory; it is about being on time. It is not about finding ways not to lie; it is about the truth. It is not about wrestling with your violence; it is about being empathetic.

So how do you make something into a good habit? How do you build good character?

You practice it until it becomes part and parcel with you. You diligently heart on what you want to add and then practice it until it becomes a habit.

Let me give you some examples:

A young man in college, that I knew, had unrest getting up when the alarm clock went off. He kept hitting the snooze button and always ended up rushing around so he wouldn ' t be delayed to class. He heard how likewise guy solved the same problem, so he tried it too. When he had some free time, he set his alarm clock to go off in five minutes. He stead down and tried to take a nap. When the alarm went off, he jumped straight up out of bed. He reset the alarm for greater five minutes and did it again. He must have done that a dozen times. The next morning, when the nuisance view went off, he stood true blue up out of bed. He had hardy his body to operate instinctively to the solicitude. Immediately he had no problems getting up in the morning.

I will side with that I am standout of an introvert and a hermit by nature. These are not good qualities for someone who is a cleric of a altar. I noted my faults while in Bible College and decided to do something about it. I steadfast to welcome everyone I saw before they could welcome me. This forced me to be outgoing and affable. It wasn ' t easy. Some folk are so outgoing that I literally had to wail a tribute down the hallway station a dozen people could hear before the other person could embrace me. I did this for months and found myself being friendly to people and more outgoing without having to think about it or scare up on it. I deeper friendliness to my character.

This is how you do it. When you are trying to add character, you have to center on it and make it a goal of addition. You then practice it until it becomes instinctive. We do this with our muscles. We practice a particular jump shot in basketball, we practice swinging a racket, and we practice dribbling a soccer ball all so that our muscles will behave instinctively without ideation or conscious direction. Why should good character be any different?