Webster’s Dictionary defines endurance as “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity, especially the ability to sustain prolonged stressful effort or activity” and “the act or an instance of enduring or suffering.” Synonyms of endurance are permanence or duration.

When I moved to Tennessee to attend graduate school, I learned I had a tumor on my spine.  Ten days after surgery, I began my grueling studies in the School of Medicine when my father passed away. Despite these hardships, I completed my degree and received the Nashville’s Woman of the Year Award.

At the same time, my teen son was removed from his Boy Scout Troop in Owasso and we connected with three troops in Middle Tennessee. Upon returning to Oklahoma, we began with his original troop only to have to change again. Despite the obstacles, he earned not only his Eagle wings but special assignments to Sheriffs’ camp and accommodations for having completed his requirements during Boy Scouts of America’s 100-year anniversary.

Helen Keller said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.” And when you endure and persevere, the rewards can be opportunities and strength.

As a community, Owasso has demonstrated endurance in 20+ years of pursuing character.

Achieving True Success, How to Build Character as a Family gives step by step guidelines to assist families (and communities) in modeling, teaching, recognizing, and praising good character.

One of the most important steps is to praise and recognize the character behind an achievement or accomplishment, instead of solely the achievement or accomplishment.

The authors of this book explain that praising for character versus achievement looks like…

Saying, “Thank you for your orderliness and enthusiasm in cleaning your room. I can tell you put your whole heart into it,” instead of recognizing the achievement only by saying, “Your room looks good – thanks for cleaning it.” Getting the job done may allow for cutting corners like stuffing junk under the bed. Character will not cut corners.

Or

Saying, “You showed such endurance and perseverance in your soccer game. Thank you for sticking in there even when it got tough,” instead of saying, “You played great to win your soccer game. You showed them!” (p.12)

According to Achieving True Success, How to Build Character as a Family, a character family is “a family with challenges and pressures; with imperfections, inconsistencies, and needs; with periodic conflicts and failures but a family that has purposed to learn true harmony and genuine appreciation for each other and those outside the family.” (p. 8)

The same can be said for a community that focuses on character…We are a community with challenges and pressures; with imperfection, inconsistencies, and needs; with periodic conflicts and failures but, through endurance, our community has purposed to learn true harmony and genuine appreciation for one another.

Resource

Achieving True Success How to Build Character as a Family.  Published by International Association of Character Cities (IACC), a division of Character Training Institute, Inc. 520 W. Main St., Oklahoma City, OK 73102-2220.  www.charactercities.org