Quality Person

One of the first life changing lessons Brother Eggett (my institute choir director) taught me 3 years ago was about becoming a "quality person". At first I didn't fully grasp the concept of it, but a couple times a week he would teach us something that makes up a quality person. I found myself really understanding who quality people are when I a.) started watching my incredible friends in choir and how they acted like quality people and b.) when I started constantly asking myself "is this what a quality person would do?"

What is a quality person then? A quality person, in my opinion (and Brother Eggetts) is someone who simply consistantly does the right thing. Who goes out of their way to do the right thing. Who goes out of their way to help someone else. Who never holds back their gratitude for someone else or who never holds back from complimenting another person because of pride. These are Brother Eggetts most recent thoughts on what makes a quality person... (he has given us countless examples over the last 3 years..)

A quality person leaves when the job is done, not when their tired. At parties, ward functions, work, church, even family dinners. If you benefited from whatever it was that you were attending, don't you think you should stay and help clean up? If you ate dinner shouldn't you help clean it up and not just leave it to whoever it was that cooked for you? If you went to church and benefited from it, shouldn’t you stay after and help stack chairs or help clean-up in whatever way you can….? “We leave when the job is done…”

A quality never criticizes their church leaders. Sometimes we forget (myself definitely included) that our church leaders don’t get paid one penny for all of the work that they do! Our Stake Presidents, Bishops, Relief Society, Elders Quorm, Young Women & Young Men, our teachers, the sacrament speakers and musical numbers, etc….. they all willingly do ALL of that extra work for free…. My dad was the bishop for 6 years and I’ve seen first-hand just how much time and energy is required to be a bishop. And the thought of anyone ever criticizing my daddy when he was the bishop makes me sick. But how many times have I criticized my leaders and teachers?? Way too much. A quality person is grateful for ALL of their leaders and expresses their gratitude to them often!

And a quality person always does their best to do the right thing. They consistently live their standards, they don’t gossip or speak negatively of others, they work hard and they go out of their way to do the right thing. Here is one really simple and really dumb example of how Brother Eggetts “quality” talks have changed me…. I shamefully admit that I used to be quite the liter bug. I was bad! But then after my first semester in LDC and having heard the “quality talks,” I decided that was not a quality attribute for me to have, so I decided to change. I can proudly say that I have not littered since that day! But quality runs so much deeper than that…… A true quality person doesn’t just not liter… If a quality person sees liter on the ground, they pick it up and throw it away. How many stinking times have I noticed garbage one the ground, seen a garbage can in sight and still have walked right past it? Way too much! This morning walking to a class, I did just that. I saw garbage on the ground with a garbage can in sight and I walked right past it. Then, I went to LDC today and Brother Eggett spent the whole class period giving us another quality talk. And it was amazing. So, just barely, I pulled into my apartment and noticed before I parked my car that there was garbage in the parking stall. I got out of my car, started walking towards the door, and then I heard Brother Eggetts voice in my head, like the parrot in Aladin say, “would a quality person leave the garbage laying on the ground?” and then I said “uggggghhhhhhhh!!” So I rushed back over and picked up. And every other piece of garbage on the ground up to my apartment.

I promise, once the concept of a quality person settles in your heart, it will change you forever. What if we were all quality people? What if we all went out of our way to make other people’s lives easier? What if we all expressed our sincere gratitude to our church leaders AND teachers this week? What if we all did our very best to consistently do the right thing? What if we all chose to rise above the "norm," and become quality people? I know I definitely will be working towards becoming a quality person for the rest of my existence!

Need a perfect example of a quality person?

Him. Thomas S. Monson. He is the perfect prophet for our specific time right now. Never has there been a more service oriented and “outward,” prophet. He is always looking to help someone else. ALWAYS. And in return, He is helped by Christ. No wonder why he is a prophet!

I am going to strive to become a quality person!

Xoxo,

Alliecat