Goodness

What does it mean to be good? I just got back from vacation where we did some camping, some fishing and spent a wonderful week with family back in Thunder Bay. It was good, but that's not what goodness is all about. What does it mean to be good as part of who you are as a person, as part of your character? I know for myself that I want people to think that I'm a good person, that goodness is part of who I am, but I want it to mean more than just nice. When I think of being good, it's about doing the right things, even when it's hard. It's about being who I should be as a person, especially in how I treat others. It has to do with my morals and being the same person in private that I am in public and that has to fit with who Jesus tells us who we are supposed to be. How you live and treat others shows who you are inside.
You don't have to be a religious person to work at being good. There are many people I know who accept Jesus' teachings as wise because they recognize the importance of good character and being consistent in yourself. "A good person's good behaviour shows a good heart," is how one person put it and I am working hard to have this said about who I am.