THE HUMAN SIDE
How might we measure our spirit?
One excellent way is to determine how well it stacks up to virtue.
Kindness means being well-disposed toward life, neighbor, self and God. On a scale of one to 10, how does our kindness rate, and how well do we counter ill disposition?
Reverence is awe of another, life and God’s creation. It likewise reminds us to allow a person their space and freedom.
Reverence speaks to our sense of awe, raising the question, “Are we able to maintain a deep sense of wonderment and truly feel its thrill? No matter our age or illnesses we suffered, can we still be spellbound, especially about God’s creation?”
Another side of reverence challenges us to ask, “How much do we give others their space, leaving them free to be themselves and avoiding the tendency to dominate them?”
An ancient Chinese proverb states that the fewer interests a person possesses, the more powerful the person is. It is an axiom on the virtue of disinterestedness, reminding us the power of our personality becomes stronger in proportion to the absence of interests to which we cling. Here we ask how much we are our true self, i.e., being a true selfless person who thinks less of self and more of others.
One meaning of loyalty is firmness that results when a person assumes a responsibility and abides by it no matter the consequences. The old saying of they “stick to their guns” is an excellent description of firmness when tempted to retreat.
Some never think of humor as a virtue, yet it is because it gives us an eye for the oddity of existence and its comic side. It is the antithesis of uptightness by keeping us loose despite life’s irrational shortcomings.
How well then do we employ humor to maintain our sense of humor? And how often do we employ it to help others be less serious about life’s disappointments?
There is the temptation to determine life’s progress through the eyes of success or failure. Seldom do we see the spirit within each virtue being the lifeblood of true joy and success.
