Sunday, September 15, 2013

13 Virtues for Life



As we “grow” through life, every moment is an opportunity to re-invent ourselves and re-commit ourselves to our ultimate calling.  As I sit in front of my computer on a quiet Sunday morning, I am reflecting on what a great week it was.  Why was it great? Because I chose it to be so.  It was packed week that consisted of 12-14 hour days, busy days in the office, physical, mental, and professional trainings, late nights and early mornings, reading, writing, and lots of preparation.  To many people that sounds miserable; for me, I call it my life.  In a world distraught with so much distraction, it is easy to stray off the path you have chosen for yourself.  It is easy to get caught up with the insignificant and the mundane.  It is easy to gravitate away from the things that matter most into a land of just “existing.”  It is up to each one of us to clearly define exactly what we want to stand for.  I love the variation of this quote made by Rosa Parks. “Stand for something or you will fall for anything.  Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.” What do you want to create in your life? Do you want to stand for peace, harmony, and fulfillment? Do you want to stand for prosperity, contribution, and integrity? What do you want?

I recently discovered that Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a noted polymath, author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat, and USA’s first millionaire, developed and lived his life by 13 specific virtues.  It governed and lead him in everything he did.  It was his roadmap to success.  I figured if it was good enough for Benjamin Franklin, it was good enough for me so I decided to write down the 13 virtues for which I would dedicate my life to following and pair each one with a motto. I would like to share them with you:

1) Integrity – “My word is my word is my word.”
2) Peace – “I express serenity and centeredness from my core in every situation.”
3) Authenticity – “I am who I say I am.”
4) Love – “I radiate love to all of humanity.”
5) Sincerity – “I speak with authenticity and compassion.”
6) Empathy – “I have the ability to feel what others feel.”
7) Charisma – “I am fully present and I connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.”
8) Joy – “I live with a zest for life.”
9) Prosperity – “I attract abundance everywhere I go and in everything I do.”
10) Faith – “I believe in a high power that guides me in everything I do.”
11) Movement – “I move naturally, consistently, and constantly.”
12) Courage – “My life is dedicated to growth, learning, and being the best I can be.”
13) Excellence – “I look for ways to contribute as much value as possible to people’s lives.”

Living a fulfilled life takes work.  It takes energy.  It takes focus and determination.  It takes doing what so few people are willing to do.  Success also leaves clues.  Are you expanding your awareness and increasing your focus to pick up on those clues? Model and mirror your behaviors and actions from the people you admire but always remember to make it your own.  Spend time everyday working on yourself.  Be clear with exactly what you want to manifest and create in your life.  Don’t leave your life up to chance. Begin today creating the life you would love to live and never look back.

Love,
Matt



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