October 2005 Newsletter
This Too Shall Pass
Once upon a time, a king became frustrated by his constant anxiety. When he succeeded, he worried it
would not last, and when he failed, he worried he would never succeed again.
The king called his jeweler and commanded him to craft a ring that would give its wearer unshakeable confidence. The king gave the jeweler three days to complete the project or face death by hanging.
The jeweler knew he could not make a piece of jewelry that could help the king, and he began planning how he would spend his last three days. As the jeweler trudged through the courtyard, the gardener glanced up.
"What is the problem, friend?" asked the gardener, pausing with his pruning shears in midair.
After listening to the jeweler's story, the gardener said, "Friend, this case is not impossible. Go to your bench, craft a plain gold ring, and engrave it with the words, 'This too shall pass.' When the king sees the ring, he will remember how all things come and go."
The jeweler followed the gardener's advice, and the simple elegance of the ring and the wisdom of the inscription impressed the king so much that he never again became carried away with the success or failure of the moment.
Whatever your current circumstances, remember, "This too shall pass." This habit will give you the perspective to persevere through each new experience.
Practice Patient Productivity
Patience requires us to see life's ups and downs in a larger context. Thus, it has application to everyday activities and long waits.
When considering a decision, the first choice and the easy choice often distract from the ultimate goal.
A patient person keeps the goal in mind and takes time to look for the best option. Thus, a patient person
persists, investing the time to resolve a difficult situation instead of rushing to get rid of it or
hoping it will somehow dissolve.
A person also demonstrates patience by taking time to develop relationships. A sales person should help customers make informed decisions rather than push for an immediate sale. At home, parents can challenge their children to demonstrate good character rather than push their children into particular activities.
- Set high standards for personal excellence, and communicate them consistently.
- Do not pressure others to fit your ideals in your time frame. Demonstrate respect and consideration for others.
- Motivate others to take responsibility by allowing them time to grasp the situation and respond.
- Focus on the process of building and contributing to the team. Reject the urge to assert your right to call the shots.
Develop the patience to make sound decisions and build beneficial relationships on good days, bad days, and ordinary days.
Integrating A Character Emphasis
For six years, Dr. Ronald Gardin and his staff have integrated a character emphasis in their dental office.
Each month at one of their weekly staff meetings, they set aside time to read and discuss applications of the current character quality. A three-ring binder in the waiting room contains past bulletins and allows patients to read about various character qualities. A repeating slide show explains various dental procedures and displays the month's character quality. Five screens display the slide show in the treatment rooms, waiting area, and to passersby outside the front window.
Dental assistant Melody Cote has observed patients reading the character bulletins, and they have generally given positive feedback. One patient borrowed the binder to show her employer. But it is hard to gauge the full response of patients.
"I think where it helps most is in our office," Gardin said. He sees the character emphasis as a tool to help him and his team members build relationships with patients and one another.
When one employee left to take a new job recently, Gardin publicly recognized how she demonstrated faith as she stepped into a good opportunity with confidence that it was the best thing for her.
"The thing I enjoy most is the stories about the various people," said business manager Brenda Gauthier. She particularly remembered the story about Elijah McCoy designing automatic lubricators for steam engines, and she took the bulletin home and shared it with her husband who used to work on the railroad.
By Loren Paulsson
Changing Lives in Paraguay
Leticia Martinez teaches school at the San Juan Bautista School of Asunción, Paraguay.
In April of this year, Martinez and approximately 100 others attended a Character First!
Education seminar.
She recently described the
results she has observed. "I participated in your Character First! Seminar in April. Since
then, I have been teaching my pupils these character qualities with very good results. I have
attached a translation of some of the many written reports I have received."
These are some of the reports from students in Martinez's class:
"I think that the Character Course helped me to be a positive person because I am always thinking about the past: the things I did not do and I wanted to do. And now, whatever I do in my life, I do with a positive mind." – Karina
"I am Ivonne. I am 12 years old. Before the Character Classes I believed the world was trash and people were in the world just to bother. But now I believe the most important thing in the world is my family and the other people, and now I feel happy. What gave me the best results was learning forgiveness. Forgiveness is something very good. We must learn to forgive." – Ivonne
"The Character Class helped me to get along better with my classmates because before I yelled at them and said bad words to them. I did not accept help from anyone. But I learned humility and to appreciate every moment with them." – Zalmi
By Robert Greenlaw
Training Officers of Character
On October 25-26, law enforcement officers from 18 agencies in 8 states and 1 foreign country will gather in Oklahoma City to learn basic principles that will help them strengthen community relationships.
Sheriff Ray Nash of Dorchester County, South Carolina, will present the dynamic principles that helped his county experience a 30 percent decline in the crime rate in three years.
Sergeant Julie Shearer of Cincinnati, Ohio, said, "The police dynamics that Ray Nash specifically brought with the training, I think, teaches the things that are the core of being a good police officer."
Limited space is still available. For more information about this seminar, call 405-815-0001, or visit http://www.charactercities.org/conferences/policedynamics/