Finding truth these days seems so elusive. It is not just because we are in a political season. Our world continues to grow in complexity and intensity which provides an opportunity to cover up truth in a maze of complicated, uncertain, and seemingly unique situations.
As we continue on our journey to build and strengthen our character, there is one simple, universal, and timeliness truth that we will cover in today’s blog that should not be dismissed among the complexity that continues to grow all around us.
Before covering the one truth, here is a little background. At Harvest Time Partners, the intent of our work is to reinforce that Character Creates Opportunity® to reach our full potential regardless of our situation.
Why is character so critically important?
In answering that question, below are two realities we all must face in life:
- We will experience both ups and downs, great highs and great lows. Whether it is in school, work, our community, and certainly in our homes, we will encounter situations that provide us with an opportunity to learn and grow. There is no “easy street” to live on…we cannot fully appreciate great highs without experiencing great lows.
- There are always three aspects to our experiences:
a SITUATION: There is our present situation. Sometimes our situation is beyond our immediate, personal control like the weather, a call from a close friend with an unexpected terminal illness, a reckless driver running a red light, an outburst from an individual in an overwhelming situation, etc. Other times, we made a decision to place ourselves into a certain situation.
a GAP: There is a gap, a moment in our consciousness, that forms our response to the situation. The gap could be a split second or a long period of time.
a RESPONSE: There is our response to the situation.
The one simple, universal, and timeless truth is this: How we fill the GAP will determine our potential and our emotional health.
In the GAP, lies our character. We are not confined to a stimulus-response type paradigm like animals. Our unique human quality, our character, provides us with the potential to choose our response in any situation.
The truth about our potential in the GAP has been around for ages. The world’s dominant religions all teach this truth and modern history has provided numerous examples of this truth. We possess the potential to rise above our situation and effectively use the GAP between our situation and our response.
Our character is Standing in the Gap® between a situation and our response.
Our character is our inner voice (our internal compass) that guides our thoughts, decisions, and actions. When we guide our thoughts, decisions, and actions by principles like courage, loyalty, honesty, and commitment, we build and strengthen our character.
As our character is strengthened, we develop our most effective response in the GAP.
Our most effective response will eventually lead to an improved situation and a pathway to reach our full potential and sustained emotional health…and the opportunity continues with every situation.
How does this play out in the real world?
In the workplace:
- With a situation of tremendous personal success, do we take all the credit or do we acknowledge the principles of teamwork and the commitment and sacrifices of others?
- With a situation of a major shortfall, do we blame the boss, company red tape, competition, or do we acknowledge the principles of personal responsibility and continuous learning to expect of a better outcome next time?
In the classroom:
- With a situation of a poor grade on an exam, do we blame the teacher and the “system” or do we acknowledge the principles of preparation, planning, and humility to ask for help?
- With a situation of bullying or shaming, do we ignore the environment, or do we acknowledge the principles of courage and compassion to defend those who may not be able or willing to defend themselves?
In the home:
- With a situation of a wayward teenager or adult son or daughter, do we dismiss them or do we acknowledge the principles of loyalty, commitment, and understanding to ensure no one feels all alone?
- With a situation of a struggling marriage (all marriages go through difficult times), do move quickly to the exit, or do we acknowledge the principles of commitment, sacrifice, and gentleness (strength under control) to navigate the incredibly painful episodes in marriage?
As we face situations in life, there is always a gap between our situation and our response. How we fill that gap will determine our potential and our emotional health. Our character stands in the gap and our Character Creates Opportunity® to reach our full potential regardless of the situation.