Imagine that you walk into a room filled with your friends, family and co-workers.  Scan the crowd and identify the person whom you admire the most.  What is it about them that you admire?

If you asked that group of family, friends and co-workers whom they admire, would they choose you?

We don’t need to be admired by everyone- but this is a great exercise to start discovering the reputation that we’ve built for ourselves.

Learn more about character education.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Sir, I will treat you as a gentleman, not because you are one, but because I am one.”

Others shouldn’t have to earn your respect.   Give it freely, regardless of the respect that you receive.

Why?  Because everyone has worth as a human being and deserves our respect.

You don’t have to like everyone and you don’t have to have to agree with them.  Their opinions may make your blood boil and their actions may make you cringe.

Treating people with respect does not mean that you endorse their ideas or behaviors.  It means that you are willing to show respect to an individual without respecting their actions and decisions.

Treating others with disrespect says nothing about their character, but everything about yours.

Discovering your reputation

We are busy.  After working a full day, it seems there is always a never ending to-do list at home.  One of the things that we can forget to put on that to-do list, is to intentionally talk about character and values with our kids

Here’s a few things you can do at home to teach trustworthiness.

• Watch for trustworthy behavior and show your appreciation.
• Talk to your child about times in your life (and listen to theirs) when it has been hard to be honest or keep promises.
• Develop family rules and consequences.  Explain them ahead of time and then use the consequences in a consistent way.
• Model the behavior your want to see in your child.
• Use a teachable moment!  Next time you are reading a book with your child, discuss how the characters in the book demonstrated honesty, or how a character kept promises.

Ready to get started?  A quick Review of Trustworthiness:

• Be honest
• Don’t deceive, cheat or steal
• Be reliable.  Do what you say you’ll do.
• Have the courage to do the right thing.
• Build a good reputation.
• Be loyal.  Stand by your family, friends and country

Learn more about character education.

Good citizenship requires that we do our part to make our community better.

‘Making our community better’ sounds like a pretty large task.  How do we even know where to start?  It’s hard to begin when we don’t know what to do.  It’s hard to find the drive if we imagine that someone else will do it if we don’t.

Good citizenship can’t be someone else’s job.  It takes each of us, doing our own part, to make our community better.

How can you contribute?  What is something you can do this week to help your community?

Learn more about character education.