Without character, the puzzle of achieving success falls apart. It is most important of all pieces to life’s puzzle. Without character, you can make money. But it will be worthless to you and to those around you. Look out in the world today: drug dealers and con artists have money-but they lack character.

Marring your hard work by lacking character will lead to others pitying you as you age. This can cause you to become less that you were intended to be.

Character equals integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing all the time, even when no one else is watching. You don’t have anything to fear when your integrity is intact, because you have nothing to hide. You experience no guilt and no fear. And without those two traveling companions, it’s much easier to climb higher and farther, faster!

In a practical sense –it means this: The right philosophy (Golden Rule) will be maintained at all costs. You will use this in everything you do. If climbing the corporate ladder means stepping on other peoples’ backs, you will not do it. Stacking bodies to reach that coveted CEO level will be against your beliefs. Treating people with respect, honesty, and trust will be your ultimate goal. You want others to treat you the same way.

“Doing the right thing” will be your motto in the office, even if it isn’t welcomed or appreciated. You may be the only one acting this way–but you’ll find that it will move you beyond your present position–to a bigger and better place. Your integrity will be appreciated by others when this happens.

If you have character, you will realize that the most important things in life are not at the office or at work. Family and responsibility to that family are most important. Having character means you will not sacrifice them to “finish this project” or “get that done”. When your child asks you to play catch, you won’t say; “Maybe next time”.

Your character will shine through as you put your family before your work, as you purposefully schedule time with them (and then keep those appointments you put in your planner), as you “date” your spouse and remember why it is you got married in the first place, and as you set an example that your spouse and children can be proud of.

Remember that your children will grow up to be just like you. “We teach what we know; we reproduce who we are”–spoken by John Maxwell. Living your life with character and integrity will cause you to reproduce children with the same traits. Those traits will follow you and your children as you progress toward success in your life? And isn’t that what it’s really all about anyway ??

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