Generosity is defined by Strata Leadership as ‘Managing resources to freely give.’ Most of the time, when we think about generosity, we think of giving our finances or our time to those in need. But generosity—and freely giving—can go much deeper. This month’s Character magazine asks a simple but...
The character trait of diligence is a reminder that I am in control of those distractions. The phone itself does not have to negatively impact my concentration. Through the notifications I set and the number of times I check it, I choose whether the phone is a disruption. Author Tony Reinke of...
In a recent staff discussion a director recognized two team members for exemplifying this month’s character trait of loyalty. The first example is a member of the team who is choosing to work around the need to provide care for her dad as he is aging and encountering health issues. She adjusts...
Strata Leadership defines Availability as a willingness to change my schedule and priorities to meet a need. Notice the definition of Availability does not state a willingness to change schedule and priorities for every distraction that comes up. John Eldredge in his book titled Get Your Life...
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to participate in a trip with my church. The purpose of the trip was to hold a ladies Bible conference at two different Navajo/Apache reservation churches in Arizona. With eight people traveling together, cooperation was essential. We flew out on a...
If you’re familiar with the Enneagram, I am a “1 wing 9, reformer (perfectionist)/peacemaker.” I have a tendency to believe that every decision should have a perfect outcome that makes everyone happy. Early in the pandemic, I began to recognize that when faced with a choice where I didn’t like...
A friend once told me that anytime her and her husband drove by someone who was homeless he would make the statement, “one bad decision and that could be me.” This statement has always stuck with me, but I think due to the amount of caring family I have, it is really hard for me to truly relate...
We all know what honesty is, but even so, it is still easy to distort or exaggerate the truth. We live in a world that is easily influenced by headlines that are written to grab the attention of the reader. Often, the most attention-grabbing headline may not be untruthful, but it may be...
In a world and society where marketing strategies and spin are at the forefront of advertisements and headlines, it is easy to fall into the trap of saying whatever needs to be said to get to the end goal or give others the very best impression of us. Social media adds another dimension allowing...
A tenet of the City’s work philosophy is ‘Choose Your Attitude’. This philosophy is taken from the book FiSH! by Stephen Ludin, Harry Paul and John Christensen. The book uses the work habits of an actual fish market in Seattle to show that any work environment can improve customer service, build...
Positivity is defined as maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with difficulty. It is easy to have a positive attitude when things go well, but a person who exhibits the character trait of positivity maintains a positive attitude even in the face of physical hardship, poor conditions,...
We all strive to teach children about sharing. Looking at the character trait of Generosity requires taking a hard look at ourselves to see how we struggle with sharing. Is it money, possessions, energy, talents, passion, time? Often the trait of generosity first brings to mind giving and...
