One dictionary defines character, in the sense we are considering here, to be "the complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person." In another dictionary, character is said to be "the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual's life which determine his or her response regardless of circumstances."

Our character is not just what we try to display for others to see, it is who we are even when no one is watching. Good character is doing the right thing because it is right to do what is right. Character transcends race, religion, education, position, age, gender, and personality.

We may sometimes think of character as something a person either possesses or does not possess. We may say, "He has character." At other times we recognize the truth that everyone has "character" but we distinguish between good and bad character. Then we would say, "She is a person of good character."

For the sake of this discussion, let us recognize that character is a "complex of mental and ethical traits," and that that complex may be thought of as "good" or "bad." Let's focus, however, on the second of the definitions given above. Character, then, is a complex of qualities, or traits. Those qualities are "built into an individual's life." And, it is those qualities, those character traits, that determine a person's response in any situation.

If character is a complex of "qualities" that are "built into" a person's life, what are the qualities that make up character and how can they be built into a persons life.

If I were to ask you to make a list of "character qualities," your list would probably include such words as honesty, integrity, dependability, loyalty, enthusiasm, etc. And, of course, you would be right. Each of us would have our own list.

The list of character qualities that I like to use is the list identified by the Character Training Institute of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Benjamin Franklin designed for himself a plan for building character that certainly seems to have been successful. He identified thirteen character qualities that he felt needed to be better developed in his own life and devised a method of focusing his attention on each of those qualities for one week at a time. Thus, during a year's time Mr. Franklin would go through his entire list four times.

From Benjamin Franklin's plan we learn the value of focusing our attention on one character quality at a time. During that time we should seek to understand as much as possible about the character quality - what it really is, how it has been illustrated in positive and negative ways in history, how it can be applied to our own life situations. We should also attempt to live our lives as if we fully possessed the character quality upon which we are focusing. We should be aware of how the character quality (or the lack of it) is demonstrated in the lives of those around us and evaluate the results and consequences we see in their lives.

As is generally the case, it is helpful if we can have others who will share with us the effort to develop a character quality in our lives. Shared effort increases our enthusiasm for the project and gives us a sense of accountability that we do not have otherwise.

CHARACTER is the foundation for all true success. A person may have money, position, or power, but unless he has "good" character he or she is not considered to be truly successful.

In a more immediate sense, let's think for a minute about how some of these character qualities might affect our lives. Take the character quality of attentiveness for example. A man and his wife are conversing quickly as they prepare for their day's activities. She say, "Be sure to pick up Amy at school this afternoon on you way home from work. I will be tied up and won't be able to pick her up." He says, "Sure." But, his mind is already on the important meeting coming up this morning and although he acts like he heard, the truth is it didn't really register. He was not being attentive, and the result will be that he will totally forget about what he agreed to do. His daughter will be left at school until he gets home and realizes his goof. His daughter will be frightened. His wife will probably be upset. And, his own self esteem will suffer.

Here is another situation. John works in a manufacturing environment. One of the safety rules at their plant is that oil spills must be cleaned up immediately if possible and that until a spill can be cleaned up signs or barriers must be placed over the spill to keep people from walking on it and possibly slipping and falling. Today, however, a forklift was leaking oil and the person operating the forklift did not follow the safety rules (lack of the character qualities of obedience and responsibility). John, who really knows better, is trying to read a report as he walks across the plant. Because of his lack of attentiveness and lack of alertness, he doesn't see the oil on the floor. He steps on it, his foot slips, he falls, and as he falls he hits his head on a nearby machine and suffers a serious injury.

One more example - a more positive one. Jane is a sales representative. For more than a year, now, she has been working toward gaining the confidence, and the business, of a major potential client. Jane has demonstrated patience, determination, and endurance in her dealings with this potential client. During that time she has been truthful in the claims she has made about her product. She has been diligent in her efforts, orderly and thorough in her presentations, and creative in her evaluations of how her product could be used to solve the potential client's problems. Today, Jane's efforts (really, her character) has been rewarded as the potential client became an actual and very happy actual client.

We often don't think of character as having such a direct effect on our successes or failures. But when we break character down and consider the individual qualities that together make up character, we can easily see that it is true that Character Determines Success.

Today's world faces many difficult problems. Escalating crime, drug and alcohol abuse, workplace violence, gang activity, vandalism, school dropouts, deteriorating work ethics, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, racial tensions, broken families ... The list seems endless.

At their root, all of these problems spring out of the lack or misapplication of good character qualities. If we are to find lasting solutions to the problems of our day, we must deal with the roots! We must work to improve our own character and help those around us to improve theirs! Character training is essential! Character is the Key to Success!

Businesses are learning that it is counterproductive to focus only on achievement and profit, without emphasizing the character qualities which underlie the achievement. We must think in terms of developing character. Character training is essential for lasting success!

Each of us can, as Benjamin Franklin did, undertake to improve our own character. We can intentionally seek to build good character qualities into the lives of our family members. We can demonstrate good character on the job and in our community and encourage others to do the same. We can recognize the vital importance of character to the success of our lives, our businesses, the organizations to which we belong, and to our country and world, and we can seek to impact the part of the world that we touch to develop character.

Many resoures are available to us. If we will use them, we can make a difference in our world.