We all have
habits. Some are good and some are not
so good. Some habits will lead us to
success and the achievements of our goals.
Some habits will lead us to failure and personal destruction in the
end. The common ground of all habits is
that we create them, stop them and change them.
It is all in your power.
One of the goals of the Scouting
program is to teach boys what are good habits and how to keep them in their
life. The first step is to recognize
what habits are moving us forward and what habits are holding us back. When we see those that hold us back, we must
change them for better, more productive habits.
You cannot just stop a habit without replacing it. Humans cannot live in a vacuum; we must fill
the empty spots. By replacing bad habits
with the good we not only fill the spot
where the habit was in our life but we stop the ability to go back to the old
ways. Here are four good habits that all
success-minded people want in their lives.
“Every man is where he is, and what he is, because of the habits he has
acquired.”
– Napoleon Hill
(1883-1970)
Author
Habit #1. Good Behavior
This may sound simple enough,
but it is extremely important for those who wish to succeed. Bad behavior is not always the outbursts of anger, addictive habits or immoral
actions some people have. It can be
smaller and less noticeable (although just as destructive) than some
behaviors. Things like interrupting
people who are talking, bad manners in social settings or telling off-color and rude jokes.
The best way to establish good
behavior is to become a person of good manners. The fifth point of the Scout
Law is: A Scout is Courteous. Good manners are
not just how you eat your dinner or saying please and thank you. Good manners are
being kind and respectful to others and showing respect for yourself as
well. As Emily Post said, "Manners
are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that
awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."
A Scout learns that the Golden Rule is not just a fun saying. They learn
how to treat other people as well as to
show respect. Being courteous is simply being aware of the feelings of others
and doing what you can to be kind and encouraging.
Habit #2. Good Decision Making
The greatest power in all the
universe is the power of choice. The choice is the ability to make good and
informed decisions. The choices you make
will make the difference between a life
of success or a life of failure.
Success-minded people know the difference between right and wrong; good
and evil. Make the right decisions and
you will always come out on top.
The habit of good decision
making starts with the ability to make a decision in the first place. Some people think that by not making a decision
they will never make a mistake. Not
making a decision is always making the wrong decision. Remember this simple formula for decision
making: Good decisions are made quickly
and change slowly. Bad decisions are
made slowly and changed quickly.
Scouting is known as a boy lead
program. That means that it is the Scouts who make the decisions and do the
work. Adults are there to consult and guide, but the program is for the boys to lead. This allows young
people to make decisions, to think through the process and to come to their own
conclusions. Sometimes this may not run a smooth as we would like, but that is
what learning is all about.
Habit #3. Good Learning
Learning is very much an
acquired habit. We learn to learn from
every person we meet and every experience we have. Success-minded people cannot allow anything
to pass them by without gaining some lesson that will move them forward in
life.
It is good to know and apply the
words of automotive giant, Henry Ford who said, "Life is a series of experiences,
each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize
this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the
setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward."
Scouting is a learning activity.
Even in the midst of fun and games, Scouts are learning how to work on a team,
care for others, follow rules and exercise
good sportsmanship.
Habit #4. Good Attitude
Create the habit of being
positive, cheerful and encouraging and you will go a long, long way in
life. Positive people have a distinct
advantage over negative people in every area of life. They get along with other people better, they
face challenges and difficulties better, they find better solutions to the problems they face. In short, it is as Zig Ziglar said, "Positive
thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will."
Of all the habits that a
success-minded person should have in their life, that of a positive attitude is
the most important and the most productive.
Positive people do not stand still and worry about what might happen
tomorrow, they get busy and make tomorrow happen.
The eighth point of the Scout
Law is: A Scout is Cheerful. Scouts are encouraged to develop and show a
positive attitude. Any parent can tell you that a positive attitude and an adolescent boy do not tend to go together. All
the same, I have seen down and discouraged young men become positive and encouraging
leaders through the lessons they have learned in Scouting.
You matter! You matter to the
world and to yourself. Remember to be
your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your
world.
Scouting Out of Uniform
is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to
personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The
Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the
Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting
for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal
Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To
read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him
to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com. © 2018 John Patrick Hickey
