The Seven Virtues: What Are Your Resolutions??

With every new year comes the creation of resolutions and plans to improve the self, the spirit, and, of course, the mind. These resolutions help us become better people, friends, and peers in our communities, really guiding us into a new year the right way. I have journaled several resolutions this year, and at the risk of sharing them all with you and boring you to tears, I’m just going to share one: my resolution to adhere to the seven heavenly virtues.

I am not religious by any means, but I’ve familiarized myself with various religious texts and scriptures from all belief systems, so I feel comfortable enough to live a life the virtues would be proud of... And , today, I took it upon myself to reiterate the virtues with my own, brief interpretations of them. Not only will this help cement them into my own curious brain, but it will, hopefully, enlighten my audience too. Whether you’re religious or not, I hope that you get a little something out of this. So here they are...

Charity

Charity, in terms of the virtue, is defined as an innate sense of generosity towards the world solely for the sake of being generous. In Christianity, charity is viewed as love, or agäpé - the greatest and most noble of all of the virtues. It is a loving kindness towards all other beings and it is viewed as the most true perfection of the human spirit.

Chastity

This is the ability to show self-control and divert oneself from giving into temptation. This is not to say that it is wrong to feel tempted, just that it is wrong to give into such temptations that are harmful or self-damaging.

Diligence

So - this one is all about the work ethic and doing your best in any task presented to you. It coincides with the ability to stay organized and vigilant about work or any type of labor. 

Humility

Humility is directly interchangeable with modesty. It is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

Kindness

This is the ability to be good towards those around you without expecting anything in return. This is empathy towards others without prejudice and resentment, and possessing a positive outlook towards life in general.

Patience

This is the ability to cultivate peaceful community despite conflicts and injustice that may arise. It allows one to endure any unbearable circumstance with dignity and, of course, patience.

Temperance

This is the ability to show self-discipline and restraint. This is showing constant mindfulness of those around you and your environment. It takes every view into account  in any disputing matter and allows one to moderate a circumstance efficiently. This is showing good judgment.