Personal Growth is Impossible Without Character Development

Calmness is a requirement for personal growth; it is mandatory for us to focus on any subject and to quiet our minds from chattering. However, while so many leaders in the personal development industry are focused on developing new habits and behaviors, calmness cannot be manufactured. Just as we cannot control the family’s we are born into and our upbringing, there are some things in life that can’t be learnt or practiced. They are innate, original and part of our imprinted nature. Character is one such attribute which is embedded in us since our creation, and is reflective of our level of consciousness. It’s not a coincidence that when we use the word character in common conversation, it means integrity or honesty. Because without raising our consciousness, these attributes simply can’t be developed by any kind of tricks and practices.

Character and behavior are not the same, nor can character be influenced or changed by behavior. Just as spraying perfume does not remove the source of a foul smell, it only hides the smell, so we also cannot alter our character by hiding behind behavior. If we want to transform into better human beings, the first step is to change our characters. But we can never do this with tricks and practices; the only way that it is possible is by raising our consciousness. Character is the foundation on which our lives stand. Therefore, it must be built in a way that it not only meets the challenges of this world but also prepares us for future happiness and success. Developing our character is the most important part of the journey of personal growth. It’s impossible to rise above the negative influences of our upbringing and society unless we adopt a higher consciousness.


Character and behavior are both interrelated. Character is inherent; it is built-in and very difficult to change. Behavior, however, is a series of choices that can be changed.
Behavior
Character


There is no question that good upbringing is important in the development of good character. Even though we may be born with a tendency to develop certain traits, we are ultimately molded by our surroundings and the things we experience daily. If our upbringing environment is toxic, we are more susceptible to adopt bad characters. As a result, the unconscious mind reigns over our lives. This part of our mind is a storage bank of unconscious feelings, thoughts, memories, urges and desires as well as trauma, pain, anxiety and conflict that is too painful or unpleasant to exist within the periphery of our awareness.

However, since we do not fully develop our executive functions or decision-making capabilities until the age of 25, if we are living in a poor or toxic environment, we adopt habits, patterns and characteristics from others that merely feed into the pain or quick-fix mentality of the unconscious mind. This becomes more and more ingrained, more and more habitual and more and more unconscious until we no longer have conscious control or reflection over our own livesby the time the executive faculty of our minds is finally at its peak.


True Behavior is
the Expression
of Character

In life sciences, we assess, assign and identify animals, bacteria, viruses, fungi, plants, trees and humans through their characters. For animals, bacteria, viruses, fungi, plants and trees, their characters and behaviors are always in resonance and match with each other.
People, however, are the only entities on this planet that can behave differently from their character. Behavior is the natural expression of character, and both must have resonance with each other. However, due to our environmental upbringing, we may adopt bad characters, while simultaneously learn how to behave charismatically or portray ourselves in a way that is not in resonance with our character.

Today, more than ever before, there is a great deal of discourse about transformation and personal growth. This is because of the rapid development in our society with the advancement of science and technology. Today we have almost everything at our disposal to make our lives easier or more comfortable, with very little effort and time spent on it.
There are many people and organizations that claim to have the secret to a happier life. They promise their clients quick and lofty benefits in exchange for a fee. But do their programs actually work? Often, these programs are not just ineffective. Rather, their focus on behavior-oriented outcomes to falsely manufacture transformation in character can actually do more harm than good.
Since behavior is the natural expression of character, the moment our character and behavior differ from each other, we are at odds with ourselves, which leads to a vast number of emotional and mental health problems, frustration and misery. This is why our current healthcare system is struggling to properly address the rapidly increasing prevalence of mental and emotional health problems. By only focusing on the symptoms and behaviors at a superficial level, we are missing the root cause of these problems – character.
Transformational leaders, life coaches, mentors, lifestyle trainers, and health and nutrition coaches are only superficially targeting personal growth and development with tricks and techniques to alter behavior, communication and presentation. Character transformation should be the main goal of personal growth and development. Without the transformation of character, nothing can be accomplished. Unfortunately, a majority of the industry's current leaders lack either the integrity, the understanding or the means to make this happen.
The Solution

We may like to think that our success and happiness in life can easily be swayed by a simple tweak in our behavior, communication or presentability. However, if we think that changing our behavior and communication style can transform our character and make us successful people, then we are gravely mistaken. It is only through character development that we can mold our lives in the right way. A lot of people are unable to achieve success in their lives because they believe that change in behavior or style will transform their lives forever, but it’s just a misconception of what true character development is.
Many people struggle their whole lives for character development by practicing various techniques for behavior alteration, thinking that an alteration in behavior and communication style will be able to transform their character. Character is the foundation on which our lives stand. Therefore, it must be built in a way that it not only meets the challenges of this world, but also prepares us for future happiness and success.
Character decides whether the subconscious mind or the unconscious mind leads our lives. The conscious mind, or the rational mind that operates on the principle of reality, merely acts as a referee between the two.
So, if we can’t change our character by altering our behavior, how do we change our character? Who controls, governs and operates our character? Thousands of personal development and transformational leaders think that by simply altering behavior, character can be altered. On the contrary, behavior is the expression of character. So how do we transform our character? Without knowing the authority that governs our character, people live their entire lives trapped and spinning in circles, from one frustration to another, often never truly understanding why or how to stop this cycle. Improving the aroma, taste, look or feel of a fruit will not transform the health of the entire tree. This is reverse engineering, and it will never work.



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