Kay:
Hey there! And, welcome, once again, to The Mentorship Quest! It’s Wednesday, July 22nd, and this is Episode 143. We have a Joyce Meyer quote for you today, and she says, “Character is doing what you don’t want to do, but know that you should do.”
Shi:
Well, first off, this is going to take zero character because I want to do it, and should do it, and will do it! One of our longtime listeners, Andrea Manha – well, formerly Manha and now Jacobsma – is having a birthday today!
Kay:
Happy Birthday, Andrea!
Shi:
We hope you have a wonderful day and we love you so, SO much. 35 is going to look stunning on you, just like it does on me!
Kay & Shi:
*(Laughter)*
Kay:
Awww, well any age looks stunning on Andrea. She is a stunning human being with a wonderful character who we think really embodies this particular quote. Andrea, in particular, has a big dedication to her fitness life and to her health. And, it doesn’t always feel fun for her to meal prep, or to run every day, or to be super active. But she knows that those are the things that will create a better life for her, and so she’s dedicated to doing them!
Shi:
I have always admired Andrea’s discipline and ability to get done what she says she’s going to get done, and to follow through on those things. And, that is a character quality that is getting harder to find. It seems, in this day and age, especially when you can seem to phone it in or fake it…she doesn’t. And, people who have good character do those things even when the camera’s off, and even when they don’t feel like it, or they’re not at their prime and peak mental state. You know, we’ve all been there, when we just don’t feel like it…You know, I have not felt like working out – (I mean, usually I at least kind of feel like it) – but the last three days have just been super struggle bus for me. But, I’m like, this is where I need to be disciplined. This is what I do. And, I’m like, “What am I not going to do it?” Because now, I built the habit, but still it’s hard to do it, but you know, I really should. And so, building that character muscle is an active and ongoing process!
Kay:
Normally we don’t love the word “should”, because, oftentimes, we end up doing something that Shila and I like to say, we “should” on ourselves. We think that things should be a certain way, or we think that we should be doing something different. And, while yes, there are “should” actions in your life that guide you into the direction of where you can go…If you are a person who is actively developing your character, what you know is that when you start to feel “shoulds” come up in your life, that they’re not there to make you feel guilty…they’re there to signal action!
Shi:
Another mentor that we love to listen to is Tony Robbins, who kind of originally introduced that concept of, “You know, well, I should lose weight, and I should spend more time with my kids, and I should make more calls…I should, I should, I should…And I should all over myself!” And, he really says that what we have to do is turn those “shoulds” into “musts”. And, when we accomplish that, then we raise our standard, and we force ourselves to build the character and take the action. And so, what Joyce Meyer is sharing with us here is that similar sentiment of what is reflected when people do the things that are hard. What is the thing that (when you have discipline and we display it in the long term, over time)…what is that called? It’s called character!
Kay:
Well, let’s just take, for example, sitting on the couch, right? So, you’re sitting on the couch, and, at the same time, you’re wondering, should I get up and exercise? Should I make the phone call, or should I keep watching TV? Well, if you are currently watching TV, it’s going to be harder to pull yourself away from doing the thing that you’re already doing. And so, it’s easy for your mind to sit there and think well I “should” make the phone call…Well, I “should” just really exercise…Well, I “should” just do that. But, if you have the dialogue inside that says, “Well, no, I must make that phone call.” Even just those words themselves have so much more of a charge to them. So, even saying like, “I can go exercise right now, but I’m choosing to sit on this couch,” gives so much more power to the situation, and can really help you develop into doing the things that you don’t want to do, but that help you to build your character in the long run!
Shi:
It’s so easy to look at others and judge their character because you look at their actions, and their results, and you can clearly see what it is that they do, even when the lights are off, even when people aren’t looking, and in some ways it’s easier to do that with others than it is ourselves. When reading a book, you think about a character development in that book and, if you’re in their head during the narration, I know for me, I’m like, “Why don’t you just say the thing, or go to the place, or whatever it is?!” But, when we turn that mirror on ourselves…boy! We are so good at justifying to ourselves that, “Well, I should do that”…And so, at the end of the day, developing our own character in our own story is what Joyce is saying here. So, to remind you, today’s quote is from Joyce Meyer, who says, “Character is doing what you don’t want to do, but know you should do.”
Kay:
So, today’s quest is a grind quest! And, I bet you can guess what it is! Get out there and do something that you don’t want to do, but know that you should! Get out there and flip that “should” into a “could” and a “can” into a “do”. And, before you know it, you’ll be well on that path to developing your character! Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s Quest!
