THE CRUCIBLE OF CHARACTER

A crucible is a melting pot used in the refining of precious metals. When those metals are mined from the earth, they contain impurities that must be removed. By placing them into a crucible and then turning the heat up to extreme temperatures, the materials separate. What's weak and worthless burns away in the heat of that fire, but what's most important and most valuable remains.

A crucible can also be defined as a severe test or trial. It's a moment, or a series of moments, when we find ourselves thrown into the fire. It's there - in the fire - that we find out what we're really made of. Who it is we want to be or who it is we wish we could be gets burned away, and the reality of our character remains. Of course, finding ourselves in the fire is rarely comfortable or convenient, and it's rarely something we choose. We're more likely placed there by the challenging, unexpected, and often unwanted circumstances of life. But just like it does with those precious metals, this kind of fire can refine us into the kind of people our best requires us to be. It can burn away what's weak and worthless in us. It can help us become champions.

We're facing an unprecedented time of testing right now - a crucible that only a month or two ago, few of us could have possibly imagined. And the harsh reality is that this test is a long way from over. The heat on each of us will continue to rise in the coming days and weeks, not only as we work to find the best in ourselves, but also - for many of us - as we continue to lead others through this fire. You may be leading your family at home or your people at work. Maybe it's your team you're responsible for. Whoever it is, it's in these moments - when the heat's turned up the highest - that our character is most severely tested, and what we're really made of rises to the top.

It's in these moments - when the heat's turned up the highest - that our character is most severely tested, and what we're really made of rises to the top.

Here are a few ways your character will continue to be tested in the days and weeks to come:

*Your commitment will be tested. What you've determined to be most important should be where you're most committed. Don't let the flames take your focus off what really matters, and what really deserves your time and attention.

*Your patience will be tested. Will be tested? Probably more like has been tested, is currently being tested, and will continue to be tested. We've already been at this longer than any of us would have chosen, but we're still a long way from the finish line, too. Continue to build your capacity for waiting without complaining.

*Your attitude will be tested. Passing this test requires more than blind optimism or false hope. It requires real, productive positivity. Like Jim Stockdale did, balance an unwavering belief in the end of the story with the courage it takes to confront the brutal facts of reality. That paradox creates strong, authentic positivity this fire can't touch.

*Your gratitude will be tested. The fire has a way of diminishing all those things we're fortunate to have and highlighting all those things we wish we had. Fight against that urge to compare yourself or your situation to others, and find a way each day to count your blessings. Like always, you'll probably find what you're looking for.

*Your discipline will be tested. Discipline is the ability to do what needs to be done even when you don't feel like doing it. You can bet there'll be plenty asked of you in the coming days and weeks, and you can bet too that much of it you may not feel like doing. So put your feelings in their place. Are they important? Yes. But are they most important? No. Have the discipline to do what's required.

*Your example will be tested. The longer you're in the fire, the more opportunities there are for those in your care - your spouse, your kids, your team, your people - to observe who you are and how you handle it. Continue to do what champions do, lead from the front, and set an example you can be proud of.

There are undoubtedly a number of challenges for those who find themselves in a crucible, but I do want you to find hope in the midst of this test. There is actually great value in this kind of fire. This isn't the kind of fire that's meant to destroy you. It's not a forest fire that destroys indiscriminately or an incinerator that consumes completely. This is a refining fire that can burn away what's weak and worthless inside each of us and draw out our best and most valuable selves. It's not quick or painless work, but if we stay in the fire and pass the test, what remains will be priceless.