Lack of Characteristics That we Desperately Need

What can we do when we realize that we lack a characteristic that we desperately need?

Shakespeare said in Hamlet, "Assume a virtue if you have it not."

In other words, act yourself into actuality. If you lack a personality characteristic, a behavior pattern, a way of being, don’t give up. Instead possess it, practice it, assume it, realize it; live as though it were part of your life.

But you say, "That’s hypocrisy." No, it is a fact that the only way you can change your behavior is to act your way into a new way of being.

If you wanted to become a pianist, you’d have to sit down at the keyboard until you were one. If you want a personality characteristic, you’ve got to practice living it until it becomes a reality. Only then can the new nature replace the old, and what once seemed unnatural becomes natural.