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What are his three R's? Respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all your actions.

We might call these three R's the keys to right relationships. The first R is our fundamental relationship; the second R is our communication relationship; the third R is our accountability relationship. Together they form the foundation of how an individual relates to himself and to others.

Kids of Character are students of life-learning who focus considerable attention on the three R's. Very often, the discovery of the importance of the three R's is underscored by a significant mentor - parent, grandparent or teacher. So let's briefly take a look at the three R's.

Respect for self: A kid of character knows a simple truth. Wherever I go, there I am. The I that lives inside me as my body/mind/spirit needs to appreciate the unique and creative person who is invited into a life of problem-solving and lesson-learning.

Respect for others: A kid of character knows a simple truth - what I put out, I get back. There is a cause and effect relationship between thought-action and the impact it has, for better or for worse, on the way we relate to others.

Responsibility for all your actions: A kid of character knows a simple truth: I am accountable. Successful life skills development knows the importance of self observation and self-correction.

Kids of character learn that the three R's require constant attention in order to develop mental and emotional habits that cause them to live naturally in our thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behavior.

Ultimately, kids of character find that the three R's are required learning to become the practitioner of a noble life.

Russell Williams is president of Passkeys Foundation~Jefferson Center for Character Education. For information contact (949) 770-7602 or www.jeffersoncenter.org.