~Character Does Matter...to You and God!

A person of character...exemplifies the following:

Trustworthiness

Integrity

DO: Stand up for your beliefs • Follow your conscience • Be honorable and upright • Live by your principles no matter what others say • Have the courage to do what is right and to try new things even when it is hard or costly • Build and guard your reputation

DON’T: Do anything wrong • Lose heart if you fail or don’t get what you want

Honesty

DO: Tell the truth and nothing but the truth • Be sincere • Be forthright and candid

DON’T: Lie • Cheat • Steal • Be sneaky, tricky, or deceptive

Reliability

DO: Keep your promises • Honor your word and commitments • Be dependable • Do what you are supposed to do • Return what you borrow • Pay your debts • Be on time

Loyalty

DO: Stand by and protect your family, friends, school and country • Be a good friend • Look out for those who care about you • Keep secrets of those who trust you

DON’T: Betray a trust • Let your friends hurt themselves • Do anything just so others will like you • Ask a friend to do anything wrong or spread gossip that could hurt others

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Respect


Golden Rule

DO: Treat others the way you want to be treated • Respect the dignity, privacy and freedom of all individuals • Value and honor all people, no matter what they can do for you or to you • Respect others’property — take good care of property you are allowed to use and don’t take or use property without permission • Respect the autonomy of others — tell them what they should know to make good choices about their own lives

DON’T: Use or manipulate others • Abuse, demean, or mistreat anyone

Tolerance and Acceptance

DO: Judge others on their character, abilities, and conduct without regard to race, religion, gender, where they live, how they dress, or the amount of money they have • Be tolerant, respectful, and accepting of those who are different from you • Listen to others and try to understand their points of view

Nonviolence

DO: Resolve disagreements, respond to insults, and deal with anger peacefully and without violence

DON’T: Use threats or physical force to get what you want or to express anger

Courtesy

DO: Use good manners • Be courteous, polite and civil to everyone

DON’T: Use put-downs, insults, yelling, or ridicule to embarrass or hurt another

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Responsibility


Duty

DO: Know and do your duty • Acknowledge and meet your legal and moral obligations

Accountability

DO: Accept responsibility for the consequences of your choices, not only for what you do but what you don’t do • Think about consequences on yourself and others before you act • Think long-term • Do what you can do to make things better • Set a good example

DON’T: Look the other way when you can make a difference • Make excuses or blame others

Pursuit of Excellence

DO: Your best • Persevere • Be prepared • Be diligent • Work hard • Make all you do worthy of pride

Self-Control

DO: Take charge of your own life • Set realistic goals • Keep a positive outlook • Be prudent and self-disciplined with your health, emotions, time and money • Be rational — act out of reason not anger, revenge or fear • Know the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do • Be self-reliant — manage your life so you are not dependent on others; pay your own way whenever you can


Excerpt from http://www.charactercounts.org/