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I have had the idea of “Have Character” for many years now. I originally bought the website URL: havecharacter.com probably close to 20 years ago hoping to one day build it into a brand promoting a way of life geared toward making a difference. A way of life worth living to build a legacy that would be passed down from generation to generation.
At that time, I had a young family to raise and a career that was based on commissioned income that dictated much of my time and effort. My number one mission, and one that drove me through fear of failure, was never to fail and let my family down. For this reason, which I don’t regret, my dream of building “Have Character” stayed on the sidelines in the back of my mind.
Unfortunately, in 2016, one of the most devastating things I have ever had to go through in my life hit me very hard: Divorce. I did not see this coming, it tore my family apart, and when you value family as much as I do, it was extremely hard to endure. In being fully vulnerable here, I had my faults in why this happened. Although I don’t believe I deserved what happened, I still had to be man enough to own my responsibility and accountability for it happening to me. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, but the truth is, honesty demanded it. It was during this time that I lost the ownership of the domain name havecharacter.com and I let it lapse. Because of the harsh blow of divorce and what life was throwing at me this no longer was on my radar. This idea I had seemed to die when I learned the URL had been bought by someone else.
In the following years, I tracked the URL…it wasn’t being used for any purpose, but instead was sitting there for sale at now a fairly significant price. I put the URL on back order to swoop in and get it if the current owner did what I did by letting it lapse. I had this idea for so long, yet I never felt I would do anything with it to where it would be justified to pay the premium to the current owner to secure it again. As time went on, I submitted to buy the URL at a price much less than what the owner was asking only to get turned down time and time again. I had doubt in my head telling me: if I had not used it for the first decade or so that I owned it, why would I do something with it now? What would now justify paying a price for it?
Interestingly, I found myself in certain situations where the Have Character idea continued to pop up! I had friends, family, or situations come to me where I found having character mattered. It was the advice I was giving that seemed to be the advice needed to help. The resolve to push through tough situations and to love when it might be justified or reasoned not to. With every situation, I found that I was being nudged closer and closer to Have Character over and over. Truth be told, I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. I believe I had that One still voice in my head that continued to bring me back to my vision of the Have Character message. It was simply no coincidence. That voice had become so strong where I finally felt that if I was to die without trying to make my vision of Have Character a reality, I would have passed on an opportunity God had put in my heart so many years ago. It became obvious to me, it was time to open that door and step through it!
I got back in touch with the owner of the URL and settled on a price to get back the vision I had lost years back. Havecharacter.com was back where it should have never left and my vision could now move forward for real this time. The truth of the Have Character message isn’t rocket science. The vision and its success are quite simple: If I can help just one person with this message, just one, then it will be all worth it. God willing, I will help at least 2!
If you have read this far, I have a straightforward request for you. Today, make it a point to do something that shows your life has character. It doesn’t have to be big. Open a door for someone and let them go in front of you, go out of your way to be kind to someone, no matter if it is a friend or a stranger, give a higher tip than usual to make someone’s day, pay for the person’s food behind you in the drive-thru line, simply say please and thank you, pray, asking God to present an opportunity for you to make a difference. Or maybe, just maybe, look yourself in the mirror and be kind even to yourself. Because YOU matter to the God who created all things!
My hope is that you understand that no matter who you are, no matter your strengths and weaknesses, you have great value and have much to offer. If any of this resonates with your mind or heart, I ask that you join me in this mission. This is not a selfish mission. The more people in, the better! Let’s change the world we live in one person at a time and let’s move our world toward a world that strives to Have Character.
I hope this message encourages you in some way. I hope you’ll partner with me and adopt this mission for your life. Finally, I hope you’ll strive to pass this mission on to someone else through your love and kindness.
I will leave you with this incredible thought. By now, my website has many blogs listed of my life’s journey and what God has taught me. I trust that there is somehting in those blogs for someone. I find it interesting that 20 years or so ago when I had the Have Character vision, I didn’t have the life experience or the lessons God taught me to pass them on in helping someone else. I didn’t have the perspective then that I do now. Could it have been that back then, God might have said, “Not yet son, I have much to teach you first!” I believe, trust, and I am in awe of the God I serve. That God is found in his Word to us, the Bible. And his son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior for all mankind. To Him be all glory and worship.
Thank you for your time. I wish you the best in your life. And remember to “seek Truth, cling to honesty, and strive for integrity” and go Have Character.
J. Noah Russell
HAVE CHARACTER™
