What Benjamin Franklin Did Wrong

One of my favorite books is the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. A printer by trade, he referred to his mistakes as "errata," apparently understanding them to be merely typos in the story of his life that could simply be dismissed as non-substantive and non-detrimental to his character. However, he made the admirable effort to list character traits he wished to develop and track them with a daily chart. His notes indicate that, much like us, he did well some days and poorly other days. It appears from the remainder of his life that his chart was merely a checklist and did not result in his becoming the person he hoped to be. I do not pretend to know the secret to developing a certain character or to becoming the person we seek to become. However, in my efforts to do the same--I keep a journal rather than a checklist--I drill down a little further than the character trait to the habit or actions that prevent me from developing it and make a goal to stop doing that thing or replace it with something better. To me it feels more concrete. It is also more in line with the principle that "thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to habits, habits lead to character." While the broad goal of being kind might work for some, it is easier for me to track a goal like not raising my voice. The reason I raise this issue is that I felt that Easter was a good time for me to make new goals. As I work through this process, I realize more and more the thoughts, words, and actions, that not only hold me back but also provide an incorrect example to those impressionable young minds whose eyes are constantly upon me. It's a lot of pressure, but this at least helps me to keep track of my progress and gives me something to feel good about when I no longer have the urge to raise my voice, etc. Sorry this is a little deeper and less entertaining than previous posts.