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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Living Well: The Four Virtues I Most Respect
Our virtues and our vices define who we are
By Bob Mueller
They offer us direction for the choices we make. They quietly demand that we behave
responsibly. Living in concert with our virtues brings peace to our souls. There are four
virtues I most respect and marvel when I see them in others:
1) Sincerity is the one virtue that wins respect from everyone. When people ask me why I
go to hear a certain minister preach, I always say, “I do not go to hear him because I
believe what he says; I hear him because he believes what he says.”
The important thing in life is to know what matters to us. Our reality and values are our
own. No one else can dictate them to us. They come out of our experiences and
observations, and our spiritual health asks that we be true to them.
If people are sincere, they will throw themselves completely and unreservedly into their
tasks. The expression “half-hearted” is really a contradiction in terms.
2) Patience is that virtue that frequently eludes us. We want what we want when we want
it. This is one of the things that I myself have had to fight the hardest. When I work at
something with all I have, and do not get results, I have a tendency to become
discouraged. We are each on a path unique to us that offers special lessons to be
learned. Just as a child must crawl before walking, so must we move slowly, taking the
steps in our growth in sequence.
3) Role modeling for others is a virtue that makes such a difference. We are role models
for many people: our children, our co-workers, and people in general. I am amazed how
we watch one another. People will follow our lead.
Thoughtful responses to the situations we encounter require conscious attention to
those events. We need reminding, perhaps, that our behavior is continuously telling
others who we are, what we value, and how we view the people close to us. All of us,
consciously or otherwise, imitate behavior patterns of persons we admire. Unfortunately,
we sometimes also mimic unfavorable behavior.
4) Positive attitude is a virtue that overcomes so much frustration. I have never
understood why it is that we are much more zealous in reference to the things we are
against than the things we are for. It is much easier to organize crusades against evil
than on behalf of good. Someone has said that a pessimist is one who sees difficulty in
every opportunity, and an optimist is one who sees opportunity in every difficulty.
Making a decision to look for the good in our experiences and in our friends and
acquaintances frees us from so much negativity. It ushers in happiness, not only for us
but for the others we treat well. Happiness is a byproduct of living the right kind of life.
We never change the world by weeping and wailing about all that is wrong.
Think about what your virtues are. The real test of a virtue is: does it strengthen you and
help you to bear the burdens of life?
Bob Mueller is vice president at Hospice
Foundation of Louisville. Bob can be emailed at bobmueller@iamtodayswoman.com.
Bob has three books: Look Forward Hopefully and The Gentle Art of Caring, and his
newest, Create a Better World.
Our virtues and our vices define who we are
By Bob Mueller
They offer us direction for the choices we make. They quietly demand that we behave
responsibly. Living in concert with our virtues brings peace to our souls. There are four
virtues I most respect and marvel when I see them in others:
1) Sincerity is the one virtue that wins respect from everyone. When people ask me why I
go to hear a certain minister preach, I always say, “I do not go to hear him because I
believe what he says; I hear him because he believes what he says.”
The important thing in life is to know what matters to us. Our reality and values are our
own. No one else can dictate them to us. They come out of our experiences and
observations, and our spiritual health asks that we be true to them.
If people are sincere, they will throw themselves completely and unreservedly into their
tasks. The expression “half-hearted” is really a contradiction in terms.
2) Patience is that virtue that frequently eludes us. We want what we want when we want
it. This is one of the things that I myself have had to fight the hardest. When I work at
something with all I have, and do not get results, I have a tendency to become
discouraged. We are each on a path unique to us that offers special lessons to be
learned. Just as a child must crawl before walking, so must we move slowly, taking the
steps in our growth in sequence.
3) Role modeling for others is a virtue that makes such a difference. We are role models
for many people: our children, our co-workers, and people in general. I am amazed how
we watch one another. People will follow our lead.
Thoughtful responses to the situations we encounter require conscious attention to
those events. We need reminding, perhaps, that our behavior is continuously telling
others who we are, what we value, and how we view the people close to us. All of us,
consciously or otherwise, imitate behavior patterns of persons we admire. Unfortunately,
we sometimes also mimic unfavorable behavior.
4) Positive attitude is a virtue that overcomes so much frustration. I have never
understood why it is that we are much more zealous in reference to the things we are
against than the things we are for. It is much easier to organize crusades against evil
than on behalf of good. Someone has said that a pessimist is one who sees difficulty in
every opportunity, and an optimist is one who sees opportunity in every difficulty.
Making a decision to look for the good in our experiences and in our friends and
acquaintances frees us from so much negativity. It ushers in happiness, not only for us
but for the others we treat well. Happiness is a byproduct of living the right kind of life.
We never change the world by weeping and wailing about all that is wrong.
Think about what your virtues are. The real test of a virtue is: does it strengthen you and
help you to bear the burdens of life?
Bob Mueller is vice president at Hospice
Foundation of Louisville. Bob can be emailed at bobmueller@iamtodayswoman.com.
Bob has three books: Look Forward Hopefully and The Gentle Art of Caring, and his
newest, Create a Better World.