Hope

We each face difficulties in various relationships. What hope do we have that those problems might be resolved? Really only the hope that, somehow, people can behave better than they are right now. We often talk about the improvement side of that: practical ways that we can act and think better. But we often skip over the foundational point: we must recognize that we are imperfect.

When Character First! is implemented in correctional facilities, a major hurdle is often getting prisoners to recognize their responsibility for where they are. Excuses abound. And as long as we keep on repeating, “I didn’t do anything wrong: it’s someone else’s fault,” we will likely keep on repeating the mistakes that get us in trouble.

As counterintuitive as it sounds, hope is only possible when we recognize and freely admit that we are imperfect.

• Emphasizing character doesn’t mean telling people about all the good things you do. Be honest and let others learn from your weaknesses as well as you strengths. When we present ourselves as something we’re not, we set ourselves up to be exposed. Consider the classic “Pocket Watch Story” in our Truthfulness resources.

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Luke Kallberg manages website content for the Character Training Institute.