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Habits of Character

 

Shall the youth of Zion falter

In defending truth and right?

While the enemy assaileth,

Shall we shrink or shun the fight?

No! True to the faith that our parents have cherished,

True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,

To God’s command,

Soul, heart, and hand,

Faithful and true we will ever stand.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Saints Hymn, “True to the Faith” Text and music: Evan Stephens, 1854–1930)

 2/10/2021

In one of the talks we read for Business 110 this week, “Stand True and Faithful” by President Gordan B. Hinkley, he quoted the above hymn. This hymn has a special place in my heart, as does the meaning behind it. As a youth I was able to participate in a large cultural celebration where we sang this song. The spirit was strong and there was such power as hundreds of youths sang this song together. That moment will be with me forever and I know that I was singing a testimony of my life. Faithful and true I will ever stand.

In order to be faithful and true in our lives we must first be true to ourselves. President Hinkley stated “To be true to ourselves means being an example of righteous living in all situations and circumstances.” As Moroni said, we must stand as witnesses of God, at all times, in all things, and in all places.

This includes our personal thoughts. Hinkley goes on to say “The Lord has said by way of commandment, “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly” (D&C 121:45). He is saying to us that we cannot even think about immoral matters. Why? Because evil thoughts lead to evil deeds. Then He has said that if we will let virtue garnish our thoughts, we shall stand with confidence in the presence of God.” If shall stand with confidence in the presence of God, then surely, we will be able to stand with confidence in the presence of our fellowmen. By being true to ourselves we raise our self-esteem, we believe in our capabilities and therefore more readily accomplish our goals.

Steven Covey gives us another take on being true to ourselves in the summary of his book “The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People.” He proclaims “Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Habits are powerful factors in our lives because they express our character and produce our effectiveness.” Are our habits, and as previously mentioned, our thoughts, in line with our beliefs? If they are not, then I would dare say that, we are not living true to ourselves.

Covey then goes on to give us the 7 habits of effective people. The first habit is being proactive. He states, “Being proactive means to actively choose what our response will be in any situation rather than to react blindly…It is not what happens that is important. It is our response to whatever happens that makes all the difference.” Habit number two is beginning with the end in mind. Very similar to the lessons we learned in Launching Leaders, Covey explains, “Beginning with the end in mind means using an image or paradigm of your character at the end of your life as a frame of reference or criterion by which everything is examined…To begin with the end in mind requires a clear vision of your destination, and where you now are. Then you can clarify what needs to yet be done to get where you’d like to end up.” Third habit is to put first things first. This is the habit of effective time management. Habit number four is to think win/win.  Explained as ,“ A frame of mind and heart constantly seeking mutual benefit in business and personal transactions. All parties feel good about decisions and commit to the plan.” Habit number 5 is seek first to understand then to be understood. The sixth habit is synergize. “When you communicate synergistically, you are opening your mind and heart to new possibilities, new alternatives and new options. You create something entirely new that is better than you ever thought it could be.” The final habit is “sharpen the saw” or to take care of you physical, spiritual, mental and social or emotional self. By practicing these habits our lives become more effective, we take charge of it, rather than simply being acted upon.

The most meaningful habit to me is the seven and final habit. Sharpen the Saw. It’s like the old example of the airplane oxygen masks. You must first put yours on before you help the people around you or you won’t be that much help at all. If we don’t take care of our basics needs first, we are not going to be able to do as much good around us. These habits will lead to a passionate, purposeful life because they help us to get our lives in order. They help us to have meaning in our day-to-day purpose rather than waiting around for something big. By developing these seven habits we will create a life purpose and joy.


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