Don’t you love that image of the cow?
 
When we first moved to the country, we bought a milk cow from a local dairy. We named her Elsie- after the Borden Milk cow. Elsie had been retired from the dairy because her milk production was ‘down’, and she came to enjoy family life at the farm with us. 
 
Every once in a while Elsie would escape our tenuous, rickety fence, and when she did- the image above is what I would see from my kitchen window. Elsie would lumber up to the house, pressed her nose to the kitchen window, and watch. She was a huge Holstein, probably at least 6 1/2 feet at the head, and serenely chewed and peered at me from the great outdoors. Unnerving- but funny.
 
At the time, we had 4 sons at home, whose assignment it was to care for and milk Elsie twice a day. She gave us 2 gallons at the morning milking and another 2 in the evening- 4 gallons of milk every day! Even all the kids at home couldn’t drink that much. We made cheese, yogurt, pudding- lots of it, butter, and homemade ice cream. Good times- at least unless it rained and got muddy.
 
We really knew nothing about cows- but we had a book and a team of teenage sons, so we learned together.       
   
The boys hated having to get up early and milk Elsie, especially in the cold or the rain. She could be cantankerous in response. You see, her energy responded to the energy of the people around her. We tend to mirror or become ‘at one’ with the energy of the people around us. Animals are no different. Resentment or anger is a powerful influence, especially the kind generated by an irritated teenage boy.
 
Creator-based® Character is learning to assume the best about ourselves, our Creator, and others. Is your first response compassion and grace? If not, what do you need to do to create that?
 
 And what is character anyway but a determination to do what we feel is right and expect the best? Websters calls character a set of defining qualities or attributes. We naturally create our personal qualities and attributes. The real power is in determining what we want those attributes to be and deliberately choosing to create them.
 
What character traits would you like to have? Wouldn’t it be great to have our first response be compassion and grace?
 
What would it look like for your attribute or defining quality to be compassion, grace, hope, or optimism; expecting the best?
 
Louise Hay used to have an affirmation she used when she went to the doctor: “I know that every hand that touches me is a healing hand.”  
 
When we choose to create thoughts of being good enough, being valuable, expecting the best and the good, we are building an aspect of our character that will serve us well.
 
What if we created the belief that ‘Every person in my life is a healing, teaching influence…… I know that they serve only my highest and greatest good.’?
 
Then, even a muddy cantankerous cow could be seen as a gift. And she was. I’d like to tell you that the guys learned that when they were kind and loving to the cow she behaved better, but that would be a fairy tale. What they did learn was tenacity, work, and self-control. They are all men of exceptional kindness and character today. (And yes, that’s a proud momma speaking there.)
 
Here’s to choosing the thoughts and building the beliefs that build more character this week.
 
May your defining attributes be clear and uniquely you: and may all of your days be creative.  
 
All my love,

Beth

Certified Master Life Coach for
CMH Coaching for Life
Home of Creator-based Coaching® and the CBC® group experience.