“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.”
Phillips Brooks's quote, "Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones," emphasizes the importance of consistency and integrity in one's actions. This suggests that while extraordinary events may showcase one's character, it is the daily choices and behaviors that truly shape who a person is. This quote serves as a reminder to pay attention to how we act in our everyday lives, as these small moments have a significant impact on our overall character.
The quote by Phillips Brooks highlights the importance of the small, everyday actions in shaping one's character. In today's fast-paced world, where grand gestures and major accomplishments are often celebrated, it is crucial to remember that our true character is revealed through the small, seemingly insignificant moments of our lives. From how we treat others in passing interactions to the choices we make when no one is watching, it is these consistent behaviors that ultimately define who we are as individuals.
One of the most important aspects of building character is how we handle ourselves in day-to-day situations. As Phillips Brooks said, "Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones." This quote emphasizes the importance of our actions and behaviors in shaping who we are as individuals.
As Phillips Brooks suggests, character is not just about the big moments in life but also about the small, everyday actions and decisions that shape who we are. Here are some questions to reflect on how your character is evidenced and developed in the small moments:
Can you think of a recent small moment where you had to make a decision that reflected your values or principles? How did you handle it and what did it reveal about your character?
In what ways do you show consistency in your actions and behavior, even in situations that may seem insignificant?
How do you approach challenges or setbacks in the small moments of your day-to-day life? Do you respond with resilience and determination, or do you give in easily to frustration or negativity?
Reflect on your interactions with others in small, everyday interactions. How do you demonstrate kindness, empathy, or respect towards those around you?
Are there areas in your life where you feel your character could use improvement in the small moments? How can you work on these aspects to become a better version of yourself?
“Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now... Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long-continued process.”
“Dreadful will be the day when the world becomes contented, when one great universal satisfaction spreads itself over the world. Sad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life that he is living, with the thoughts that he is thinking, with the deeds that he is doing, when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger which he knows that he was meant and made to do because he is a child of God.”
“The danger facing all of us--let me say it again, for one feels it tremendously--is not that we shall make an absolute failure of life, nor that we shall fall into outright viciousness, nor that we shall be terribly unhappy, nor that we shall feel that life has no meaning at all--not these things. The danger is that we may fail to perceive life's greatest meaning, fall short of its highest good, miss its deepest and most abiding happiness, be unable to render the most needed service, be unconscious of life ablaze with the light of the Presence of God--and be content to have it so--that is the danger. That some day we may wake up and find that always we have been busy with the husks and trappings of life--and have really missed life itself. For life without God, to one who has known the richness and joy of life with Him, is unthinkable, impossible. That is what one prays one's friends may be spared--satisfaction with a life that falls short of the best, that has in it no tingle and thrill which come from a friendship with the Father.”
“Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for wings.”
“There is one universal religion, Helen - the religion of Love. Love your Heavenly Father with your whole heart and soul, love every child of God as much as ever you can, and remember that the possibilities of good are greater than the possibilities of evil; and you have the key to Heaven.”
“No man or woman of the humblest sort can really be strong, gentle, pure, and good without the world being better for it, without somebody being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness. ”