This post is dedicated to my good friends Billy and Peggy Florence.  Billy and Peggy are people of character who believe a good name is above any amount of wealth.  They have been blessed with both a good name and wealth because they understood success is from the inside out.  You must take care of the inside person before you will see the outside results.  Billy and Peggy are models of character and integrity and do the right thing for the team—even if other options may have been easier personally.  The Florence’s understand that it takes years to build character, but only minutes to lose it.  Protect your character like Billy and Peggy have and let’s do some great things together on the Team!

 

Today’s story is from a book I read yesterday.   It is so powerful and exemplifies the battles people must wage to keep their character.   As you read this story, think through the times in your life where selling out would have been the easy thing.   There are many examples of compromise in a person life for money, fame, power, fear, lust etc.  Men and women of character will not compromise their principles—they know if you start to compromise that it is impossible to not justify further compromises and the principle is lost.  Here is the story.

 

A man aboard a plane propositioned a woman sitting next to him for one million dollars.  She glared at him but pursued the conversation and began to entertain the possibility of so easily becoming a millionaire.  The pair set the time, terms, and conclusions.  Just before he left the plane, he sputtered, “I—I have to admit, ma’am, I have sort of ah, led you into a white lie.  I, um, really don’t have a million dollars.  Would you consider the proposition for maybe—ah, say—ah, one hundred thousand dollars?”  The lady incensed at the lie, but still imagining the use of $100,000 reluctantly agrees.  As the man was getting up from his seat, he confessed, “Ma’am I really don’t have one hundred thousand, but can we close the deal for one hundred dollars?"

 

On the verge of smacking him across the face for such an insult, she snapped back, “What do you think I am?”   The man looked into her eyes, “That has already been established,” he replied.  “Now, we’re just haggling over the price.”

 

When I read this last night I was floored!  It is the best story of I have read on the powerlessness of your convictions when you begin to compromise them.  If I were to plead with you to do one thing in your life—develop your character and principles that you will not compromise on.  Show me a man or woman of character and I will show you someone who knows the non-negotiable principles in their life.  In this story, the ladies purity was not a non-negotiable and once the compromises started there was no end.  Compromising on core convictions is like taking the first step onto children’s slide—you can control the first step, but not how far you slide after that step. 

 

Can you think of other examples of selling your character for money?  Is your character for sale?  Think about all the great men and women from history.  One of the things we admire in our heroes is their convictions and willingness to stand for their core principles.  This is character and if you sell your character—you have sold something of permanent value for something of temporary value.  If you have failed in this area—begin today to rebuild your most important earthly asset.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

 

Assignment:  Can you give examples in your life where you held to your core principles and maintained your character?  Maintaining your convictions is not easy or else everyone would do it, but it is essential to leadership!