“Your talent will take you places that your character can’t keep”
How often do we see people fall from glory?
How often do we see extremely talented individuals fail to advance or make any significant progress in life?
we spend our lives so focused on honing our skills, and mastering our talents and crafts that we completely forget to master ourselves. It seems as if all the schools and programs are so intent on drilling curriculum and “the arts” but they tend to neglect the art of building character. Children spend on average 12+ years in school, especially those of us who were brought up in urban impoverished areas, schools raised us. many of us spent more hours in the classroom than we spent anywhere else during those years. The education we receive is very insufficient. it has been said that “the goal of true education is to teach intelligence plus character”. Long after those quizzes and mandated test end, long after our teachers are done testing our memory and cognitive aptitude, life will continue to perpetually test our character.

Education in the traditional sense has always been to strengthen the intellect. school prepares us for more school, every level of school is meant to prepare you for the next level of school and ultimately to prepare us to transition into our careers so we can do our jobs well and earn a living, etc. But school (in its current state) has failed to prepare us for all of the things that life will inevitably send our way. its the reason we see professional athletes make the stupidest decisions and ruin their careers, or why we see bright young men and women squander away educational and career opportunities, education means little to nothing when it isn’t coupled with strength of character and personality. a brain full of information means nothing if the carrier has no idea how, when, or why to apply that information.
Education will get you TO the door, sound character will help you THROUGH the door, and the two combined will help you remain there!

Thanks for reading

Toney Williams
DOC #362721