CHARACTER DISCIPLINE

PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS Series 23

CHARACTER DISCIPLINE

Character change involves our responsibility to keep our heart (sub-conscious mind) free of all negative tendencies. To do that, we’ve got to be morally disciplined. Through moral discipline you can choose what goes through to your heart, charge yourself to keep a good conscience, and commit to living by moral principles.

Choose what gets into your heart.

Sense organs are doorways into the heart. Sense organs are continuously gathering, sorting and taking in information from the environment. The eyes collect visual information. The ears receive audio information. The nostrils perceive odors. The taste buds sense taste. Sense of touch sends sensual information to the heart.

Perceptions are formed from the information the sense organs receive from the environment. Our perceptions form our beliefs, inform our convictions, determine our values and influence our character. It is said that perception is more important than reality. Our perceptions about people and situations are formed more readily by what we see on them and what people say about them than by who they really are. So we readily decide who a person is by what he says or by how he appears without taking the time to really know who they really are. When perception has been established, it can be difficult to erase. That’s why psychologists advise people to work on their first impression – the way they dress and address people.

That’s also what the media work on. They work on our perception while covering the reality with beautiful packages and sweet talks. You shouldn’t be deceived.

What we see, hear or perceive in our environment can easily deceive us if we allow them to get into our heart. So, choose what goes through the doorways to your heart. Sort the information and choose what you eyes will see, what your ears will hear and what your body will touch. Many of the things in this world have the tendency to deceive our heart if allowed. Avoid them. Negative people and negative information can have heavy negative influence on you. Avoid them. Look, you’re meant to have and become everything in this world. Know what you want and go for them with all your heart. And then, know what you don’t want and avoid them with all your heart. Choose what’s good for your spiritual, physical, mental, and social well being – and then, avoid what’s not.

Keep a good conscience.

The conscience is like a compass, always pointing us to the path of moral character. The conscience is the internal counselor that counsels us concerning moral issues. The conscience is a guide that always keeps us in the path of moral character. Anyone who ignores her conscience does so to her own downfall. Each time we ignore our conscience we pay dearly for it. You wonder how a person can commit outright evil. They have ignored their conscience long enough and silenced it. People who practice wickedness shut down their conscience and embrace contaminated philosophy. They allow themselves to be so infused with error that they could do it and get away with it.

The conscience is God’s tool to keep us in moral sanity so we can lead a successful life. When confronted with issues of life, therefore, consult with your conscience and listen to that small inner voice. Your conscience will help keep your heart with all diligence.

Commit to living by moral principles.

Principles are like compass, they always point you to the right direction. Principles are universal natural rules of life. Living by rules you will not misrule. Principles are like lighthouses; you can follow their guiding light to safety, or ignore them to your calamity.

Study natural principles of life and decide to live by them. Principles of justice, equity, sowing and reaping, the golden rule, principles of purpose, fairness, honesty, dignity of labor, hard work, sanctity of life, faithfulness, patience, fidelity, education, sharing, investment, contentment and so forth.

Principles don’t respect anyone except people who respect them. Anyone anywhere at any time who lives by them enjoys success and a happy life. When you live by principles, you will enjoy continual miracles, because miracles are products of relevant principles. You cannot break principles; you can only break yourself against them. Like the Rock of Ages, principles are unmovable and unshakable. A man of God said, “Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident.”