30 Days of November, Day 16: Of Virtues
Each day we go through life interacting with people and trying to navigate as best we can. I tend to try to avoid creating strife and discord and to the best of my ability, I want to leave people with a good impression. It is my firm belief that a reputation is built up day by day, and that each interaction you have affects how you are perceived by others.
It is important to have virtues in life because if you don't stand for something you will be a push over. This means that I won't always be able to avoid disagreements or confrontation because at some point my virtues will come either under scrutiny by a dissenter or tested by a tough situation.
It is easy to be quiet or to let things slide, but often afterwards you feel cowardly and regret not speaking up at the time. It is often too late to go back and change anything. It is also too easy to fall back into old habits even if the situation warrants that we step out of our comfort zone to give a more appropriate response.
Everyone's virtues would be different and it is important to note that virtues are something to attain to, and not a constant state of being. For me I want to be Kind, Generous, Compassionate and Faithful. This is a daily struggle because my default mode of being can be irritable or miserable depending on the stressors in my life.
I do my best to remind myself in the moment that everyone has a story. There is no one on this earth who is blameless or without struggles in their life. As far as I can manage I should try not to put more on them than they are already carrying nor should I accept more from them than is my fair share.
Here are a few ways I try to live by my virtues:
1) Consider how I can help
2) Take time to think before I speak
3) Admit when I am irritable
4) Apologize when I have wronged someone
5) Don't make loose promises
I think it is important for everyone to articulate what their virtues are, and to take some time to think of how they can better live up to them each day.
It is important to have virtues in life because if you don't stand for something you will be a push over. This means that I won't always be able to avoid disagreements or confrontation because at some point my virtues will come either under scrutiny by a dissenter or tested by a tough situation.
It is easy to be quiet or to let things slide, but often afterwards you feel cowardly and regret not speaking up at the time. It is often too late to go back and change anything. It is also too easy to fall back into old habits even if the situation warrants that we step out of our comfort zone to give a more appropriate response.
Everyone's virtues would be different and it is important to note that virtues are something to attain to, and not a constant state of being. For me I want to be Kind, Generous, Compassionate and Faithful. This is a daily struggle because my default mode of being can be irritable or miserable depending on the stressors in my life.
I do my best to remind myself in the moment that everyone has a story. There is no one on this earth who is blameless or without struggles in their life. As far as I can manage I should try not to put more on them than they are already carrying nor should I accept more from them than is my fair share.
Here are a few ways I try to live by my virtues:
1) Consider how I can help
2) Take time to think before I speak
3) Admit when I am irritable
4) Apologize when I have wronged someone
5) Don't make loose promises
I think it is important for everyone to articulate what their virtues are, and to take some time to think of how they can better live up to them each day.
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