New Year's Resolution:

I always used to make the same New Year’s resolution: Lose Weight! The diet would last about one week – which was about as long as any other resolution I might have made. I finally quit making resolutions because I never followed through on them. What I came to realize is that you can’t make resolutions once a year. That kind of resolution is doomed. Resolutions need to be something you continually resolve to do. Like anything else that is worth doing you have to start TODAY not tomorrow. Anything worth doing can’t be put off until tomorrow.

I like President Gordon B. Hinckley’s resolution: “Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities.”

So I decided to work on being a more "Virtuous" woman.
When most people talk about a "virtuous" woman, they are referring to the fact that she doesn't "sleep around."  I'm not talking about that kind of virtue.  I'm talking about character.


The word virtue is defined as “Moral excellence. Conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles.”

The Greek philosophers determined that there were four “cardinal” (primary) virtues that if a man possessed, he would be in good standing with the Gods. These were: Fortitude, Temperance, Justice, and Prudence.

Benjamin Franklin had his own list of virtues that he felt were desirable and that he ardently sought to acquire. He worked on just a few at a time and actually made charts to keep track of his progress. These were:

Temperance ("Eat not to dullness, Drink not to elevation")

Silence ("Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation")

Order ("Let all your things have their places…")

Resolution ("Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve")

Frugality ("Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e., waste nothing")

Industry ("Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.")

Sincerity ("Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly.")

Justice ("Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.")

Moderation ("Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.")

Cleanliness ("Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.")

Tranquility ("Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.")

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")

Humility ("Imitate Jesus and Socrates.")

These are excellent “social” virtues. But the way I look at it, the most important virtues aren’t on either of these lists. If you want to talk about “Godly” virtues, the ones that one needs to acquire to be worthy of Heaven and to be in God’s presence, theologians add: Faith, Hope and Charity . But I say there are more. I would add:

Honesty

Sacrifice

Compassion

Service

Gratitude

Patience

Love


Now we’re talkin’. Looks like I’ve got a lot of work to do. Should keep me busy all year. How about you?

(Maybe we should all make a list of the virtues we’d like to work on this year)