$W4G

Character is not lost in one great fall.

It is trained away in small permissions.

Nobody notices the first degree.

The compass still looks almost correct.

“Just this once.”

Then another degree.

“No one will know.”

Another.

“Everyone does it.”

Eventually you are travelling in a completely different direction while still remembering the person who began the journey.

That is the frightening part.

You may still think of yourself as the person who once refused what you now routinely accept.

Every compromise teaches your conscience what to tolerate next.

Protect the small boundaries.

They are carrying more of your future than they appear to be.