26 Aug Developing Our Character Muscles…
“Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.”
—Stephen R. Covey (born 1932) – Motivational Writer
“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People“
When Stephen’s book the “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” first came out I was at a point in life when I didn’t think I knew it all but I thought I’d captured enough knowledge to move to the next level. As such, the first pass at reading the book some of the knowledge was lost in my ego. Some of the habits such as “Be Proactive“, “Begin With the End in Mind“, “Put First Things First” and even ” Sharpen the Saw” I thought I was already doing or so I thought. I read each and every chapter with the mindset that I’m already doing some of this stuff, what can I learn from it. From there I went on to bigger and better things until on day someone gave me the pocket addition of”The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People“. I carried it around in my pocket until one day I was waiting for a plane and I pulled it out. I then started read everything I’d missed the first time around. The summations were excellent and the chapters such as “Think Win Win“, “Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood” and “Synergize” started to really make sense. As such, I pulled my copy off the shelf and began to read with an open mind what I had missed on the first pass.
Yes, there are many challenges created when dealing with other individuals who have different values, ideals, and goals than ourselves and this itself creates adversity. However, the lesson here is that our biggest opposition can be ourselves and the only way we can overcome the challenges is to realize the problem lies within and we must step out of our comfort zone. As such, I highly recommend “The Severn Habits of Highly Effective People” and “The Eighth Habit” which pertains to finding your own voice and inspiring others to do the same.
Thanks for listening.
A very good review of his book can be found: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits.html
More articles on a variety of subjects can be found at my Elephant Ear blog: https://mcbconsulting.com/blog/