Virtues
Here we are again. :) This wonderful little writing spot resurfaced to me again today via a Facebook memory and brought back so many emotions. Some of which I think I feel even more deeply then I did back then. It also made me realize how far we've come, but also how life and all that it entails certainly can become off balance so quickly. From losing one of the dearest souls I’ve had in my life, to an extreme amount of work, to health issues, to fatigue, to diabetes...to balancing it all, I spun out of control. And once you start spinning, you just spin..and you spin...and you spin....and then you spin some more...until you don't, because you consciously choose to stop or you continue to spin until you CRASH...into a brick wall...and you feel lucky to even get back up. I did the latter....of course. Literally. I'll spare you the details. Maybe one day, but today is not that day. Today I've chosen to start a new direction down a new path.
When Benjamin Franklin was 20, he wrote a 13-point plan for how he would live his life. He would focus on one point each week, so that he would cycle through the whole set once every 13 weeks and four times per year. He kept track of progress with a chart in which he would put a red dot for each fault against each virtue committed that day. I may be 30 now, but I like where Mr, Franklin's head was out. Time to progress consistently. So, I plan to do some of that as well. It will be coming early next week once I choose my own variations of the virtues.
1. “TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.”
2. “SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”
3. “ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.”
4. “RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”
5. “FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.”
6. “INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.”
7. “SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.”
8. “JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”
9. “MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.”
10. “CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.”
11. “TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.”
12. “CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.”
13. “HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
Continue to progress, my friends. There is no other way.
When Benjamin Franklin was 20, he wrote a 13-point plan for how he would live his life. He would focus on one point each week, so that he would cycle through the whole set once every 13 weeks and four times per year. He kept track of progress with a chart in which he would put a red dot for each fault against each virtue committed that day. I may be 30 now, but I like where Mr, Franklin's head was out. Time to progress consistently. So, I plan to do some of that as well. It will be coming early next week once I choose my own variations of the virtues.
1. “TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.”
2. “SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”
3. “ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.”
4. “RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”
5. “FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.”
6. “INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.”
7. “SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.”
8. “JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”
9. “MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.”
10. “CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.”
11. “TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.”
12. “CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.”
13. “HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
Continue to progress, my friends. There is no other way.
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