Character First!

November 2004 Newsletter

Thanksgiving Thoughts

The Monday before Thanksgiving, Miss MacGuthrie explained to her second-grade class how farmers work hard to grow our food. That afternoon, she took the youngsters to a local free-range turkey farm so that they could see the birds live and in person.

After returning to the classroom, Miss MacGuthrie had each young scholar write a few words or draw a picture of something for which they were grateful. Billy drew a picture of his Xbox. Monique was thankful for her Mommy. Michelle wrote about her beloved baby brother. Timothy took a little longer to decide, but he settled down in the corner and began writing.

The bell had rung, and the others had run outside, when Miss MacGuthrie looked up to see Timothy solemnly holding his paper out to her. Miss MacGuthrie smiled and thanked Timothy for his good work. As he ran outside, she looked at the note he had scrawled.

"I'm thankful that I'm not a turkey becus we live in a howse instead of in the feeld, and becus I get to have a Daddy. He luvs me, but he has to work reely hard since Mommy got sick and died. And I'm thankful that I'm not a turkey becus I would not like to eat so many bugs and grass and stuff. I like otmeal better."

It isn't the people you have around you or the possessions you've collected that give rise to an attitude of gratitude. Gratefulness is found wherever people appreciate what they have instead of becoming bitter over what they have lost.


Stressed Out?

Life can become a real pressure cooker if we aren't careful. Indeed, life can become that way even if we are careful. Demanding schedules, deadlines, increased responsibilities, financial pressures, and personal issues can add up to a major overload.

If we don't resolve stress in the right way, we often start looking for escapes in the wrong places, and these "solutions" often compound the problem. Each of us can probably remember practicing one or more of the following:

  1. trying to escape responsibility by playing the "blame game,"
  2. attempting to overcome discontentment through reckless spending or destructive entertainment,
  3. numbing the pain with substance abuse,
  4. lashing out in anger,
  5. seeking comfort in junk foods and other unhealthy habits,
  6. avoiding responsibilities through procrastination, or
  7. bailing out of relationships.

When things seem to spin out of control, it is a strong indication that something is out of balance. Just like a misaligned wheel or a tire out of balance, we will go off course if we do not maintain balanced lives. Instead of turning to short-lived escapes, take constructive action whenever you find yourself "stressed out."

  1. Take personal responsibility for past mistakes and for today's responses.
  2. Define what your emotions mean instead of allowing them to push you around.
  3. Avoid soft choices and temporary fixes.
  4. Maintain respect for others.
  5. Take care of yourself in preparation for future effectiveness.
  6. Take initiative in the opportunities you have, and demonstrate a grateful "can-do" attitude.
  7. Remain faithful to those around you.

Keep your head up. Do what is right, and recognize that this storm too will pass and bring a brighter tomorrow.


Raise Children of Character

Good parenting goes beyond providing food, clothing, and shelter. It trains a child's heart and mind to make decisions that will lead to a successful future.

Parents must model good character qualities and reinforce them in family life. Ask yourself, "Can I confidently tell my children to follow my example? What areas must I change in order to become a good role model?"

Next, select the most important character qualities for your family to develop, and map out a plan for emphasizing one of them each week. Use the book Achieving True Success or another character resource to learn about each quality. Schedule 20 minutes each week to study and discuss the quality as a family. Use the remainder of the week to practice what you learn.

Finally, praise and correct your children based on the character they demonstrate. You might say, "Thank you for obeying when I asked you to clean your room. That’s exactly what we talked about last week." When correcting, you might say, "Was it kind to your younger brother when you took his toy away? What should you do to make it right?"

Don't wait to implement these steps in your home. Make good character a central part of your family today.


Character Shines Under Fire

A man made national headlines last June when he armored his bulldozer with concrete and steel and drove this home-made tank through a Colorado town, damaging a concrete batch plant, the town hall, a library, a former mayor's home, and other buildings.

The rampage appeared to target the property of those involved in the man's zoning disputes. Damage estimates exceeded 4 million dollars, but the character of the law enforcement personnel who responded to the situation helped to prevent a tragic loss of innocent life. Grand County Undersheriff Glen Trainor said, "…because of the tremendous character shown by our law enforcement officers on that day, no citizen was injured or killed during this rampage…. The town was successfully evacuated, and I believe the actions of the men and women of the Sheriff's Office undoubtedly saved dozens of lives."

Trainor says all Grand County Sheriff's employees are required to watch the Police Dynamics video tape series. "While we gladly use the reduction of crime and improved personal lives as two of the benefits of positive character, I believe with all my heart that the character training my personnel have received contributed directly to the saving [of] lives on June 4."

If you would like to experience the positive impact of good character within your department, please contact IACC or visit http://www.charactercities.org/conferences/policedynamics/