The One vs. The Many

I'm posting old Members' Library Home Page articles here to serve as an archive. This one was first published September 16, 2009, at http://members.characterfirst.com.

Luke Kallberg

Here at Character First! we’re gearing up for a conference to help individuals organize character initiatives in their communities. Attendees from eight foreign nations have already registered. Our goal is for them to return home with the vision and tools they need to be “character champions” in their area.

But I’m realizing more and more how an effort, such this one, is not the work of just one or even a handful of people. A character initiative is not an effort by leaders to improve the character of those they oversee. It’s not the few changing the many. It’s ordinary people taking proactive steps to make their communities into what they want.

Last week, I attended the annual awards banquet of the Character Council of Central Oklahoma. They honored eight recipients, each in a different area of the community—education, family, faith, law enforcement, business, etc. It wasn’t because they worked on the Council’s pet project. These people simply took initiative to live everyday lives with visible, contagious good character.

A character initiative requires some organization, accountability, and support, but mostly it requires lots of normal people willing to be honest and practical about how good character affects daily activities.

• The Members’ Library is divided into several areas of the community: Family, Leadership, Work, etc. Have you found an article that consistently applies to your life situation?
• Have you been discouraged by others using “Character” to tell you and others what to do? Focus on good character changing your life first. Worry about others later.

Don’t try to go it alone. Talk with others about challenges and decisions you’re facing and about how you want to do the right thing.

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Luke Kallberg manages website content for the Character Training Institute.