Mark Victor Hansen, best known as the co-creator of the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ empire (which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling non-fiction book series ever), is a walking success magnet! Between his books and speeches, Mark has helped countless millions of people become their very best. Visit Mark’s 101 E-Book Library at http://www.IdeasThatCanChangeYourLife.com.
Does your character just happen? Or is it purposeful? Do you have any control over it? Or is it innate, already inside you?
Think about the people of high character you admire—did they purposefully build their character?
Our life experience tells us that character is purposefully built.
Each of us arrives on this earth with individual attributes and endowments. Yet the formulation and creation of our true character is really up to us.
We make the choice, and with perseverance we become the choice.
We become the choices that we make!
This book contains suggestions on how to build your personal character. It outlines some straightforward practical steps you can take to improve in this area.
We will share with you a few characteristics that will help to gather the best characteristics, but this book is not about what characteristics you must have.
The choice must be yours.
You must choose your own characteristics.
By this stage in life you already have generated a character with different dimensions. You might say you already are a character. But you can make it even better! There is always room to improve.
Wherever you are right now, you can make it even better!
There are nine simple steps you can take to build your character and take your life to the next level. Here is the first:
Meditate and Evaluate
Reflect upon your life. Take an inventory of who you are and who you have become. Think about how other people respond to you. Consider what you do that causes them to respond to you that way.
Are you comfortable with the quality of those interactions? Do you want to improve? If so, what is missing that you need to add, or what do you need to change?
Write down your thoughts. Get the thoughts outside you so you can look at them and evaluate them.
Think about who you have become.
Make a list of the positive qualities and characteristics you have. Make a list of the qualities you would like to get rid of, change, or improve.
What’s great? What needs to improve?
You may even consider having a dialog with other people who know you well. Solicit their suggestions for improvement. Think about what they say. Add their feedback to your list of desired attributes and characteristics.
Imagine the self you would like to become. Vividly see it in your mind. Think about the qualities you will need to have in order to become that person. Write them down.
Write down the qualities of the person you want to become.
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
- Is Capoeira viable as self-defense?
- Self discipline
- Character: a Central Element in the Development of Self, Voice and Mind
- Triumphs and Tragedies of Antithetical Characters in 'The Fountainhead'
- Protect And Develop Your Character
- Growing Kids of Character
- Character
- Character Traits to Teach and Have - What Makes a Person Develop Values and Standards?
Stop Looking For Outside Validation of You Worth... It's Sabotaging Your Results!
By: Fia Crandall | 18/12/2009Do you feel like the results (or lack of results) you create in your life are a reflection of your worth and value? In this article I share how about some interesting dynamics around unworthiness and how it may be sabotaging your results.
To Be or Not To Be a Friendly Leader
By: Emile A. Jarreau | 18/12/2009There are no limits to the expectations of people from their leader. The leaders are always expected to be better than the rest and make fair and effective decisions every single time. Most of the times, the leaders manage to fulfill these expectations, but in the few times that they don’t, they have to face a lot of flack …
Are You Doing What You CAN Do?
By: Paula Gregorowicz | 18/12/2009So often we stay stuck, frustrated, or in a rut because we don't do what we CAN do. We look at the big picture and feel our efforts don't matter. Or, we feel hopeless at the hands of a boss, clients, or career that doesn't fit. Perhaps we find ourselves being controlled by our money instead of the other way around. I am here to tell you there is always something we CAN do in any situation.
How to Beat Stress
By: Willie Horton | 18/12/2009External events or people do not cause you stress - your thoughts and reactions to what you think is going on cause you to think you're stressed. As a responsible human being, you have the power to choose which thoughts you will focus on. In other words, you choose to be stressed. You've got to turn your focus somewhere else (because only an idiot would choose to be stressed) - turn it to the only place and time there is - here and now.
iLearningglobal – The Next Dimension of Online Learning
By: Donny Gamble Jr | 17/12/2009Learn how to profit from the new trend of learning online and how to position yourself as an expert
Handing In The Ideal Job Application
By: Roberto Sedycias | 17/12/2009Creating the perfect job application or resume is just the thing toward getting the job you always wanted.
Meditation as a tool to reach any goal
By: Marcus Knudsen | 17/12/2009What ever goal you have in life, meditation can be used as a tool to help you get there faster than most people are aware of.
How Hypnosis Can Help You To Develop Better Habits
By: Jeffrey Goyen | 17/12/2009The article introduces hypnosis and dispels some myths about the subject. It gives some examples of where and how hypnosis can be used to assist behavior change for people wanting to improve their health and for general formation of better habits into the future. The text gives an example of how hypnosis is not dissimilar to meditation and in a simplified way describes stage hypnosis as fun but distinguishes it from therapeutic hypnosis.
Stop Wasting Time – Learn to Make Decisions Faster
By: MarkVictorHansen | 07/12/2007 | Self ImprovementEvery success starts with a decision. The biggest waste of time, the biggest waste of life, for most people is the decision they need to make but haven’t made because they can’t make up their mind.
Philanthropy is About People
By: MarkVictorHansen | 03/12/2007 | Self ImprovementPeople want to help other people. It is as simple as that. Philanthropy is about people. Make sure that you have defined the specific people to be helped by your project.
Philanthropy – the Art of Giving it Away
By: MarkVictorHansen | 01/12/2007 | Self ImprovementWhen you give it away, it multiplies. Every gift you give comes back to you manyfold. When you cast your bread upon the waters, it comes back in loaves!
Ways to Positively Impact Other People – Knowledge and Philosophy
By: MarkVictorHansen | 15/11/2007 | Self ImprovementYou can live a life that will outlive you. You can live in such a way that you will positively influence others, today and in years to come.
Living Beyond yourself
By: MarkVictorHansen | 15/11/2007 | Self ImprovementHow many years will you live? When you “pass on,” what will you pass on? When you leave this existence, what will you leave behind that will outlive you?
Solve Problems and Overcome Adversity – Do-the-do
By: MarkVictorHansen | 14/11/2007 | Self HelpI say that whatever your problem is, it is also potentially and probably the start of your solution. If you take on a higher awareness, your problem is solvable.
The Painful Truth – Most Fear is Healthy
By: MarkVictorHansen | 14/11/2007 | Self ImprovementEverything we do is either an effort to get pleasure or avoid pain, and many of our fears are rational and serve to protect us throughout life.