Car Seats & Character by Paul Wilson, Jr.

Earlier this year I wrote this article on my own blog. In light of the very recent revelations of Tiger Woods’ “transgressions” (and many others before him this year), I thought it was a good time to repost it…

A couple weeks ago my family and I were returning from Miami after spending time with my wife’s family over the holidays. On the ride back to Atlanta our one-year-old threw up in the car, most of it landing in his car seat. For those of you with small children you know how hard it is to clean a car seat when your child spills something (or throws up) on it. Reluctantly, I cleaned him and the seat enough to continue our trip.

When we finally got home, of course we needed to remove the seat cover so it could be washed. To my dismay, I realized I would also have to clean the safety straps and all the small nooks and crevices, because the stuff seeped down under the cover into the base of the car seat. I know this sounds gross, but stay with me. I’m getting to my point…

My wife washed the seat cover in the washing machine. I knew I had to clean the safety straps and car seat base, but I figured I would get to it later that day (procrastination). Well, about two days passed before we needed the car seat again. So as we were all about the leave the house I was putting the seat cover back on and realized that I had forgotten what I was supposed to clean. I don’t have to describe to you what I found. Let your imagination take you there – or not.

Epiphany! I would compare the car seat base to a person’s foundation, which is their values. I would relate the safety harnesses to one’s character and habits, which should serve to prevent and protect them from poor decision making.

How often do we clean the obviously seen areas of our lives but forget, ignore, or procrastinate when dealing with the areas that are seemingly unexposed? We try to cover up with a well-groomed image, hiding the fact that we have soiled character, unresolved issues, or poor habits. “Fake it ’til you make it” works for a while, but eventually when your private stuff isn’t cleaned up, life will begin to stink in multiple areas, including your work, family, and relationships.

While one’s charisma can open doors, ultimately its one’s character that determines their long-term success. Lack of character and poor habits will rob you of credibility, confidence, and competence, which ultimately thwarts your ability to perform at your peak potential. Don’t let your life stink underneath the surface! And don’t allow your charisma to lead you places where your character can’t sustain you.

You know better than anyone “what lies beneath”. Identify it and deal with it in private, so you don’t have to worry about getting exposed in public. You don’t want to be one of the character casualties that we see too often these days.

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.
Transform your dreams from an idea to reality… www.DreamBIGin3D.com

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