A Week of Virtue

Virtue is ethical behavior. It encompasses a wide array of very nice things like honesty, compassion, temperance, and so on. I think I'm mostly a good person, but I'd like to be better... I disappoint myself all the time.

A few years ago, I made virtue my theme for the whole year, and it was great! I've decided to make it the theme for this week to see how I might improve my virtuousness this summer.

When I first researched this, I ran across Ben Franklin's system for virtue improvement. Ben devised a small chart that he carried with himself, to record his behavior day-to-day in 13 areas. If you do a Google search you will see that MANY people are interested in Ben's system! You can buy journals and download charts if you want, but I knew I wouldn't be happy unless I personalized mine.

Agenda:
1. Create a virtue chart
2. Daily review

3. Practice optimism

4. Read "It's a Meaningful Life"

St. Valentines Day

Saint Valentine was a third-century Roman Christian who died on February 14. The poet Geoffrey Chaucer and his circle probably invented many of the romantic legends about Saint Valentine, in the fourteenth century. 

Valentine made by a student of mine.

It became a custom after that for a man to write a romantic poem to send to his beloved on St. Valentine's Day. Very fancy paper cards, with lace and ribbons, became popular in the 1840's, and that custom expanded into sending cards to Mom and Dad, and friends of all kinds.

Agenda today:
1. Journal
2. Make Valentines
3. Practice optimism

My Year of Virtue

Virtue is ethical behavior. It encompasses a wide array of very nice things like honesty, compassion, temperance, and so on. I think I'm mostly a good person, but I'd like to be better... I disappoint myself all the time. I decided to give attention to virtue this year, and see how I might improve my virtuousness.

I ran across Ben Franklin's system for virtue improvement. Ben devised a small chart that he carried with himself, to record his behavior day-to-day in 13 areas. If you do a Google search you will see that MANY people are interested in Ben's system! You can buy journals and download charts if you want, but I know I won't be happy unless I personalize mine.

Agenda:
1. Create a virtue chart
2. Make visual reminders
3. Daily review