Building a strong foundation

Character traits to instill in ourselves and our children…

1. Integrity: The power of being honest (with yourself and with others) and of keeping high moral principles…doing what is right, even when it is difficult.

2. Resiliency: The power to recover quickly from difficulty/defeat…not giving up.

3. Dedication: The power of being committed to a relationship, an idea, a task, or a purpose…being faithful and working hard for something in which you believe.

4. Humility: The power of being free from pride or arrogance…understanding your role/importance in life and not overvaluing your contributions to team/family success.

5. Drive/hunger: The power of having a strong desire for self-improvement…always striving to get better/evolve.

6. Patience: The power accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset…keeping cool under pressure.

These traits are fundamental to a lifetime of success. When I define success, I don’t necessarily equate it to money, although most of the time, if the traits listed above are the foundation of your character it will lead to that. No, there is more to life than monetary success. You can have all the money in the world, but if you’re lonely, angry, have poor health, or don’t know God, I hardly consider that “success.” To be considered successful, I think that you should be able to reflect on your life and be content with the decisions you’ve made, the obstacles that you’ve overcome, the relationships you’ve established, the goals that you’ve hit, and the people you’ve coached/how far they’ve come.

While there are many other character traits that are vital to becoming the best person that you can be, but these six are the core traits that I choose to focus on for myself, my son, and my soon to be born daughter. These are the six traits of which we build on everything else.

Do you have core character traits for yourself or your family? Feel free to share in the comments section! I’d love to hear what you have to say.