Perhaps it’s just my weirdly curious nature that seems to be distracted by an unusual phrase that an author uses that prevents me from moving forward in a text. And, yes, I am able to clearly comprehend the passage, but the unfamiliar wording sticks with me. Do you ever find yourself reading through a resource and have this occur? Recently, Dr. Henry Cloud’s use of the phrase Sticky Wicket had me combing the internet and reaching the conclusion that Cloud was using this unique phrase as a metaphor for a difficult circumstance. There was also something about glue pots and the game of cricket, but for my purposes today, I’ll stick with the concept of challenges and obstacles, Sticky Wickets, as we discuss the importance of character to cultivating a flourishing life.
In the world of sports, we often discuss that one of the benefits of participation is the cultivation of character, but I’m not sure we consistently arrive at a common definition of what that looks like. As I sit here pondering some best practices for equipping our student-athletes to succeed both during and after their collegiate sport careers, I wonder how intentionally we are cultivating their personhood, their character, in the way that Cloud defines this concept of character, especially in the seasons where they encounter a Sticky Wicket.
Rather than limiting the idea of a person’s character to only ethics and morals, of truth and honesty, Cloud expands our understanding to align better with the definition for character that we find in Scripture, to include “one’s makeup as a person.” Aligning also with the benefits of participating in athletics, it’s Cloud’s definition that he outlines in Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality that best serves what we desire to cultivate in the Emerging Adults that cross our paths every day on campus. It’s coaching them in productive ways to deal with the Sticky Wickets that will enter their lives on a regular basis across their lifespan.
Cloud, who in my opinion writes some of the most practical life advice, focuses our attention on the fact that if we look in Scripture for the Hebrew word that is closest to character or integrity, we discover a word translated as virtue. “If you trace its origins and meanings, one of the meanings [of virtue] is a ‘force.’… when you move through life, through your company or organization, through your career, and through your relationships, your character is going to be a ‘force.’ The question is, ‘What kind of force is it going to be?’ Will it be one of virtue, where you deliver the goods? When you bring energy and force of character to a goal or a project, will the force bring about fruit?” To me, this is what it means to flourish at life, and we often see a person’s true character when they are facing a Sticky Wicket!
Even though I could write a post for every chapter of Cloud’s wisdom in Integrity, I will try to concisely summarize the connection he makes to character development and the cultivation of the Five Habits of a Flourishing Life. Whether you use Cloud’s term of “force” or the Wake Left Behind, how we navigate the situations and relationships in our lives impacts our success—personally, professionally, and spiritually. Cloud shares six aspects of our character which directly impact our ability to flourish at life: (1) The ability to connect authentically (which leads to trust); (2) The ability to be oriented toward the truth (which leads to finding and operating in reality); (3) The ability to work in a way that gets results and finishes well (which leads to reaching goals, profits, or the mission); (4) The ability to embrace, engage, and deal with the negative (which leads to ending problems, resolving them, or transforming them); (5) The ability to be oriented toward growth (with leads to increase); and (6) The ability to be transcendent (which leads to enlargement of the bigger picture and oneself.
Just think of all the Sticky Wickets we might prevent, and equip others to avoid, if we intentionally cultivate the flourishing habits in emerging generations while assisting them in developing these abilities Cloud mentions! Does that not pose a hopeful future for us all? Whether we use Cloud’s description, James Merritt’s Character Still Counts or David Brooks’ Road to Character as our foundation, one thing is certain, the issue of character is as important today as it was in biblical times, and how we address our personhood matters to everyone!
References:
Brooks, D. (2016). The road to character. Random House.
Cloud, H. (2009). Integrity: The courage to meet the demands of reality. [Kindle version]. HarperCollins.
Flourishing @ Life 