The Power of Learning from DAD

Lesson 20 – Character – Part 1

Thinking and action are the basic ingredients of character. We can get the complete sense of an individual’s character by studying their dispositions of thought and action. Indeed, character can be understood as just that: the various dispositions of thought and action that an individual has. James Allen wrote: “as the plant springs from one seed, so every act of a man or woman springs from a thought.” As action spring from thoughts, and we can choose our thoughts, we can understand character better by focusing our attention on understanding thoughts. In this lesson, we are focusing on understanding thinking, its relation to action and its relation to character.

The parable of the gardener: There was once a farmer who had a beautiful garden. Onlookers would often pass by and comment “what a beautiful garden you have, nature has given you everything” to which the farmer always reply “yes I have been blessed and I am grateful, but you should have seen the land before I got it, when nature had it all to herself.” The point being that it was the gardener’s efforts working in harmony with nature that produced the beautiful garden. This short story is a parable of sorts. The patch of land is the mind, while the beautiful garden is our environment, the results of our efforts. The most powerful tool we have to cultivate our own patch of land is our thoughts: positive, negative, focused, unfocused – it is the thoughts we choose that create the environment we see.

Let’s pause to reflect on this point a little further. Your thoughts cannot be kept secret indefinitely. It is difficult to hide your thoughts for long, as a thought rapidly turns into a habit, and a habit turns into an action. Bad thoughts will eventually find their way into action. Thus, thinking dishonestly will soon turn into one or two dishonest actions, if the dishonest thinking persists, it will turn into a habit of dishonest behaviour, which now solidified will reflect your results, e.g., no one will work with you. In summary: Thoughts crystalize into habits, good or bad and depending on the habits, your results are created.

Circumstances grow out of thought, if we consciously choose the thoughts that we regularly entertain, that is to say, if we exercise discipline over our thinking, we can create the circumstances we want in life. Of course, mastery over habitual thought is not always easy, but it is only through this means, controlling your thoughts, and therefore your associations and your actions, are you able to transform your situation. In summary: The outer world of circumstances shapes itself through the inner world of thought. If you want to improve your circumstances it is essential first that you improve your thinking.

Encouraging positive emotions such as faith and having a purpose around which our thinking is organised are both features of the process of achieving mastery of your habitual thoughts. Having a sense of purpose is particularly important: No intelligent accomplishment can be achieved without a purpose, and a timeline. With a purpose in view to direct your thinking, you can be catapulted to success.

What is your purpose? Do not be timid, set bold and ambitious goals and utilizing the principles outlined in this book, watch how quickly your circumstances will change. Leave the how to nature. To begin to think positively with purpose is to enter the rank of those strong humans who recognize failure only as a temporary setback and success as their dominant narrative.

Lesson 20 – Character – Part 2

We ended the last lesson with the observation that, with a clear purpose and a clear direction, human being can achieve whatever they wish to in life. We also noted that, all that a human being achieves or fails to achieve is a direct result of their thinking.

In a justly ordered world, losses or gains will reflect your thinking and individual responsibility must be absolute. This is not to say we cannot receive help from others. We can and we must receive help from others. The point is, even with the right support, we can only achieve results that we desire through our own actions.

“You need to do it by yourself, but you cannot do it alone”

The stance we are assuming here is full responsibility. Thus, we do not blame others for our misfortunes, we must take charge of our thinking and change our results. What features of character are required for us to be able to assume full responsibility for our actions?

• Live above animal indulgences: Before we can achieve, we must live above animal indulgences. It is difficult to give up all the animal indulgences but a portion of it, must be sacrificed.
• Something’s got to give: There can be no progress or achievement without sacrifice. If you sacrifice a little, your attainment will be little. It is the person who sacrifices greatly that will attain the highest.
• Maintain good character: Operating with honesty and integrity and with a positive attitude will help you advance further. Nature will help the honest person and the person with the right mental attitude.
• Calmness of mind: Calmness of mind is down to patience instead of control, it is an indication of our experience, knowledge and wisdom. Particularly when making decisions, our mind should be as calm as water undisturbed by strong currents. Only when water is calm, can you see what is below the surface.
• Creativity: The oak is sleeping in the acorn; the bird is waiting inside the egg and the greatest power is sleeping inside you. This sure knowledge that you have the power to create is another essential feature of character.

To sum up this lesson: you cannot wait for something negative to happen to make a change, make a proactive choice to take action towards your goals. You always have the choice to take action and it is your character that will enable you to make the right choices. Understanding these concepts will come through study and as such, do try and review these materials and conduct your own research as often as possible into the nature and scope of human potential. Remember, once these ideas are impressed into your subconscious mind, your body will move: that is the effect of the internalization process. Keep sight of your goals and your destination, operate with integrity, and act now.