This month’s character trait is ENTHUSIASM. As part of ongoing discussions of character, the department directors are asked to volunteer to present the traits for discussion in our weekly meetings. It may come as a surprise that I volunteered to present enthusiasm. I chose to present this...
Enthusiasm is defined as expressing joy in each task as we give it our best effort. Finding joy in what we do and giving our best efforts are intertwined, and both are intensely personal journeys. The fruits of enthusiasm may or may not always be seen by others. Many people in history have...
Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as “to grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt”. Forgiveness is important for a number of reasons. Four that came to mind are: We are not powerful enough to right the wrongs done to us; We may have...
Endurance. The inner strength to withstand stress and do my best. Endurance is often associated with athletics and physical stamina, climbing mountains, or running marathons. But endurance is more than physical. The character trait of endurance is what moves each of us forward when things get...
The word respect is so prevalent in our American culture that its meaning can get watered down. Respect has been both popularized and trivialized, respectively, by pop icons Aretha Franklin and Rodney Dangerfield. Who could possibly forget the late, great singer belting out R-E-S-P-E-C-T or the...
When our son, Kyle, returned from his first deployment to Iraq I overheard a conversation with his dad. Kyle shared that it was interesting watching the soldiers take care of – or not take care of – their weapons in a combat zone. He explained that each soldier had been properly...
Strata Leadership materials define patience as taking the time necessary to work through a difficult situation. Google defines patience as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. Wikipedia goes more in-depth and describes patience as the...
If intelligence is the ability to know things, wisdom knows what to do with what you know. For example… Intelligent people know the rules of poker. Wise people, “Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” Intelligent people know that OSU plays...
Dr. Edwin Louis Cole states that “Maturity doesn’t come with age; it comes with acceptance of responsibility”. Responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions and reactions that shape our lives. An infant enters this world responsible for...
The farmer and the cowman should be friends, Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends. One man likes to push a plough, the other likes to chase a cow, But that’s no reason why they cain’t be friends. Territory folks should stick together, Territory folks should all be pals....
DISCIPLINE is a simple word, but yet one of the most powerful words in life. The most successful people exert discipline on a daily basis. Without it the world would be in utter chaos. Great leaders, people that inspire high achievement and those that fight valiantly under tremendous challenges...
Generosity. Perhaps generosity could be defined as the inward desire to help others with the things we’ve been blessed with. It’s a bit of a daunting task to write on a subject like this, as there are undoubtedly others much more qualified to cover this topic, but one of the beauties of our...
