Strength of character

Strength of character for me defines a person. Essentially it is a sum of all the attributes, such as honesty, loyalty, integrity etc. that makes a person who they are. For me it is a measure of my self worth and has allowed me cope with setbacks when the tide has turned against me and to continue on upwards in the face of life's obstacles.

It's also allowed me, although difficult at times, to favour reason over pure emotion but at the same time has allowed me to face adversity head on and take a chance in life. It has also helped me to accept in life the things that I cannot change because they are beyond my control.

My strength has given me a voice and the ability to speak up and not let others influence or dictate decisions that I make.

Something that I continue and must continue to work at is to focus on the positives in life and spare little times for the negatives.

Finally strength of character has helped me to oppose fatalism and allowed me to recognize that I am responsible for my own destiny. Ultimately I make the decisions that either make my life better or worse because at the end of the day destiny is blind and deaf; it will neither hear nor regard us.

My final words, above all else it is important not to let anyone undermine your strength of character and also to appreciate others that have had a positive influence in  your life.

A quote from Billy Graham:

"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost...."