Every time we sit down to watch a movie or read a novel, we are immediately greeted with the main characters of story.
As the story begins to unfold, we see more and more of the characters personality traits, and we often choose which character we like the most or the one we find most relatable.
Even today with social media and the amount of people that consider themselves to be influencers, are all characters in their own right.
What is interesting about things like movies or social media, is that oftentimes we forget that the majority of people are just playing a role.
In other words, we are admiring their reputation, not their actual character.
Reputation is how one is perceived by the world, while one's character is defined by who they are behind closed doors.
Reputation is important, make no mistake about it.
Especially since we live in a world that predominantly revolves around one's ability to get attention from others.
What you do and how you come across to the public matters because it is their perception of you that they create in their own minds based off of the evidence they are given.
Anytime there is a spotlight on you, your reputation is on the line and how you want others to view you is going to determine what your reputation is.
Coming from someone who has spent years performing in live entertainment, the image you create for people is ultimately how they are going to see you, not necessarily for who you are as a person.
It is safe to say, this is exactly why I decided to leave the world of entertainment, because the image in which people saw me as wasn't actually true to my character.
When it comes to character, everything from your values and principles in life, to how you treat others will define who you are.
The person that you are when no-one is around defines your character and who you are.
The things that you value in life will define your character.
Having a strong foundation of morality will define your character.
How you choose to carry yourself and operate within the world defines your character.
The story that you tell yourself defines your character.
All of these things play a crucial role in the person you are and the person you are to become.
If you are one that self-indulges in poor behavior, your repeated poor behavior patterns become a part of your character.
This is why having true genuine authenticity is so important because it reinforces the idea that "I am who I say that I am."
When you live within the constraints of your own lies, and the more you live within the mental framework of victimhood, the more you reinforce this as part of your character.
Not to mention that if you lie to yourself, the story you tell others about who you are will be the furthest thing from being authentic.
Lying to yourself and lying to others not only demoralizes your character, but also puts your reputation on the line.
As soon as people see you as a liar, you are no longer going to be one that is viewed as being trustworthy.
Your ability to build genuine quality relationships with others will lack and you will continue to lie to yourself and reinforce the behavior that makes you feel like you have to lie to yourself and to others in the first place.
This is why I talk so much about why behavior and why the ability to identify behavior patterns is so important, because the more productive your behavior is, the more you will reinforce positive character habits and traits.
The more you focus on things that produce positive outcomes over a long enough time span, the more you don't have to lie to yourself or lie to others.
There will be challenges along the way, given that is a natural consequence of life on earth, but our ability to overcome these obstacles and remain true to our story, the more it will positively impact our character.
Once you begin to realize that you don't have to lie to people about who you are, the more you will begin to build your confidence.
The more you focus on things that make you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually stronger, the more you become the kind of person that is able to prove that they are who they say that they are.
It is exceptionally easy for people to hide and wallow in their own traumas or self-pity - this makes it easier for people to come up with a flattering story about who they want to be and say that they are.
My argument is: where is the proof?
If you truly are capable of doing all of these amazing things, where is the proof?
This is where we begin to add reputation back into the mix because social proof builds reputation, and the better you can prove that you are who you say that you are, the stronger your character will naturally become.
People like being around other people with strong character because people who are authentic will tell you like it is.
People with strong character don't have to lie about who they are because their actions speak for themselves.
People with strong character are people that do what they say, and say what they do.
Now, I am fully aware that we are all human and we all make mistakes - I have done things in my life that I am not entirely proud of.
I still continue to make mistakes even to this day because I am not perfect and have no intention of ever being perfect.
With that being said, it doesn't mean that I will ever quit at pursuing my life's purpose because that is who I am.
As you can see, character and reputation go hand-in-hand.
But one thing that I can promise you is that the more you focus on being a person of strong character, your reputation will and how others see you will help you sleep much better at night.
I know what you might be thinking, "it doesn't matter what others think about me", and I agree with you to an extent because while it truly does not matter what others think about you, if you do nothing to help serve others, you will never find true fulfillment in life.
If you focus on building a strong character, the rest will take care of itself if you are willing to do your due diligence, and give back to others.