Part of growing up is doing things we don't want to do.  Sometimes its inconvenient, sometimes its scarey, sometimes its uncomfortable.  Pushing beyond our own comfort zone is something most people, myself included, don't want to do and avoid at all costs.  But the truth of the matter is there is A LOT to be learned when we try new and hard things.  We may find something that we love and becomes a career... or perhaps we find something we hate.  Either way, we can learn critical lessons and develop qualities we would not otherwise have.   In this podcase we share an interview Mike Rowe (from his own podcast, "The Way I heard It") had with Kevin O'Conner who had just such an experience when he was a teenager.

Yoda, Nike and Spencer Kimball all identified the great key to personal and character development so many of us struggle with, not because there is anything broken with us but because it is human nature.  We all have aspirations and intentions but so often we just need to "do it".  For Nike it is the tagline that has driven millions of dollars in earnings.  For Yoda, it is the key to making a Jedi:  "Do or do not. There is no try."  In this eqisode, Michael Josephson, founder of The Josephson Institute of Ethics and the nationwide program, Character Counts, shares a story that I adopted years ago and is a mantra in our family:  Five birds were sitting on a wire, two decided to fly south.  How many remained?   Enjoy!

When building character and the corresponding muscle groups--integrity, honor, kindness, patience, persistence, committment to truth, etc.-- you will encounter resistence.  All growth is a product of resistence.  This often happens in unexpected and unwanted ways.  Wilbur Wright is known for changing the world but we share a story of how the world changed him.  In fact, it appeared that the world turned on him in a cruel and undeserved way that derailed him from a promising future.... Or did it?  Did the very unfortunate events of his youth contribute to create a much better and qualified person to change the world of aviation and science than may have happened if he had not encountered these challenges.  Furthermore, his struggle and "setbacks" demonstrate the value of a "home gym".  He found strength and built muscles of character while being streched, fatiqued and broken down in the environment of his home and family -where those who most loved and cared for him could help him lift a heavy set of weights life dealt to him.  An excellent lesson for all of us who may be going through growing pains, training injuries, character rehabilitation or just becoming stronger, better people.

Life will sometimes hand you difficult and undeserved challenges.  How we respond not only impacts our own happiness but can lift, inspire and strengthen others.  Choosing to be happy, which may be as heroic as any achievment even if done in the quiet and unknown walls of our own home, takes courage, sustained effort and a focus on others.  All these are critical elements of character and halmarks of a virtuous person.  These are illustrated by a painful real-life experience shared by, Dave, a caller to the Dennis Prager Radio show.

Character training session: Love. How is it manifest in dailey behaviors and what does it reveal about me?  Content borrowed from The Jesse Kelly show.