The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

September 20Real Character

I suppose no one can violate their nature. All the sallies of their will are rounded in by the law of their being as the inequalities of the Andes and Himalayas are insignificant in the curve of the sphere. Nor does it matter how you gauge and try someone. A character is like an acrostic or Alexandrian stanza; read it forward, backward, or across, it still spells the same thing.

Ralph Waldo Emerson—Self-Reliance (1841)

Even as we try desperately to fit into someone else's picture of our journey, our true character will shine through in the end.

Sounds like a good teen movie plot, doesn't it?

Emerson's mountain metaphor sheds some light on the reality of character. The Andes and Himalayan mountains look jagged from close up, but the “curve of the sphere” is insignificant if you observe them from a distance.

Sometimes crucial aspects of our true character lie dormant. The pressure to build a business will likely reveal a few jagged edges. You'll make judgment calls that turn into mistakes. You'll be gauged and tried. You may even find yourself wondering after a particularly difficult learning experience, “How did I get here? This isn't who I am!”

And that's the moment the essence of your true character will awaken and spell out who you truly are.

Challenge Question

1. When was the last time your true character was tested? How did you respond?