MEZQUITA MAYOR DE GRANADAWhat is Character?
It is the set of words, actions and habits that we display outwardly and affects us inwardly.
Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
Lao Tzu
There are 6 essential characters:
- Conscience, an inner moral compass that God has blessed us with. To tell us, and to know, what is right from wrong. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked about righteousness, he (pbuh) responded: “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels at ease and the heart feels tranquil. And wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul and causes uneasiness in the breast, even though people have repeatedly given their legal opinion (in its favour).”
- Compassion, the ability to feel pain for others. Reflect on: our desensitized selves through our over exposure to violence in films, playstation games and Tv news. Also reflect on the thought that 3 rich families have more money than 48 countries combined together.
- Considerate, the capability of placing others before ourselves, and doing so by and large when it is inconvenient for us. Is self-entitlement helping us achieve any growth?
- Courage, to stand up for what we believe in, if we stand for nothing we will fall for anything. Don’t let principles and values, morals and ethics be a thing of a distant past. Don’t let society intimidate the real you, if it does then you will be chained and unhappy for life. Why? Because you would have denied your self and your whole existence.
- Control, is self control, do we feel the power that comes with self discipline? Control is to be the commander of our intellect, and not let ourselves be commanded by our mind. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught: “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.”
- Confidence, the capacity to believe in ourselves and have trust in our Creator. Confidence is not a demonstration of a flawless outward state, but an inner resonance vibrating outward, beyond ourself.
Be careful about the thoughts you dwell in, more importantly observe your thoughts and realize that most of them, if not all of them are not yours to begin with. In a world that inculcates perfection in physical appearance and dissipation as the prime of self worth, notice integrity being diminished and almost erased.
Keep your thoughts cleaner than pure water. As water drops make a river, thoughts make character and faith.
Imam Ali (as)
By no means is this post about my attainment of perfect character, this is merely to remind myself of the many things my mind has fogged up on me. A reminder to me and to you. Please do not let these words fool you into thinking I have it all together, I am only human, I strive against my self everyday.
