#4 of the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project details click here
4. Honor the Spirit
We sustain our vision and purpose by integrating virtues into our activities, surrounds, celebrations and the arts.
How do you honor your personal spirit and the spirit of your group?
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Core Values (Character) & Virtues–are they the same thing? Yes, in that they are woven into the same “fabric of character.”
As I recently took a course at the Anne Arundel Community College’s TEACH Institute and Parenting Center–Introduction to the Virtues Project–now, with a better understanding of what the Virtues Project is, and how it aligns with The JNP Project, I am beginning to reference all this as a term I like to call the “fabric of character.” Core values are which The JNP Project’s adventure book series, Jane & Jake’s Adventures to Awesome (and all supporting empowerment tools) focuses on: Truth, Kindness, Harmony, Forgiveness, Giving, Love, Determination, Compassion, Strength, and Character, and The Virtues Project complements all this SEL (Social Emotional Learning) beautifully.
The JNP Project focuses on core values, which together, make up our individual character. Our “Me!” In the White Paper, Virtue Ethics without Character Traits, by Gilbert Harman, Princeton University, 8/18/99, he states, “In one version of virtue ethics, moral virtues are robust character traits possessed by ideally morally virtuous people. The character traits in question are acquired robust habits of perception, motivation and action: habits of perceiving situations in certain ways, habits of being motivated to act in certain ways, and habits of actually acting in those ways. In this view, to specify a moral virtue is to specify the relevant perceptual, motivational, and behavioral habits.” Summing up to character.
In the Character Traits Chart, by Character-in-Action® (image below) notes that “virtue” is one of their listed character traits. Character-in-Action defines the virtue trait as: Virtue = begins by comprehending that there is a clear, absolute standard of right and wrong, and then acts to bring every area of life into conformity to that absolute standard. And, The Virtues Project’s mission is “recognizing the gifts within.”
In conclusion, I wanted to state that our character, the essence of who we believe we are, in which we draw our strengths and values from (our own inner-awesome super-powers), is in essence our fabric of character–made up of core values and virtues. That is why it is so important to me to take note of our virtues and be advised by our virtues facilitators as we continue to create content for JNP.
#4 of the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project details click here
4. Honor the Spirit
We sustain our vision and purpose by integrating virtues into our activities, surrounds, celebrations and the arts.
How do you honor your personal spirit and the spirit of your group?
NOTE: This series is written as a GUEST BLOG by our own JNP Advisory Committee Member, Ms. Biteena Frazier — now, our JNP Ambassador to the Middle East. She is a Master Solution-Focused Practitioner, PCI Certified Parent Coach and Virtues Project Facilitator. She has left the USA to pursue an interesting opportunity to help develop a behavior management and character development program for a new international school in the Middle East.
HONOR THE SPIRIT
There are as many ways to Honor the Spirit as there are people in the world. This strategy is about recognizing that we are human BEINGS not human DOINGS and that we need to connect with our own spirit, with the spirit of others and with the great Spirit from which we all emanate. It asks us to take time out of our busy days for personal reflection and reverence. It is about enjoying and creating beauty, about connecting with other human beings and finding our unique expression in the world.
The worlds’ sacred traditions offer formalized and ritualized ways of Honoring the Spirit. But there are many ways to Honor the Spirit that are not associated with a particular belief system. Going for a walk in nature can be a wonderful way to Honor the Spirit. Reading a book and telling stories, participating in the arts, building skills and sharing spontaneous laughter are all ways to Honor the Spirit. Families and schools can create their own practices for Honoring the Spirit. For example, “show and tell” allows children to share something that is important to them with their classmates. Taking time out to give special recognition to people or mark special events are ways that children learn in families and schools to Honor the Spirit. Ceremonies of any kind, whether practiced for centuries or newly invented, are moments when people take time out to pay tribute to something or someone of special significance. Sometimes, families and schools create ceremonies – such as assemblies or family circle time – to highlight community, togetherness and to Honor the Spirit of the group.
Children have a deep need to grow up with a sense of belonging and to feel uniquely valued. They need to feel that life has meaning and purpose. All human beings need to feel connected, capable and loved. Children as well as adults need quite times of reflection, when they can connect with self. Doing “Virtues picks” either alone or in a group is a wonderful way to Honor the Spirit (Virtues cards are available to order through the website www.virtuesproject.com). Connecting to nature, creating something, participating in a group activity, all these are ways that children learn to appreciate self, other and life itself. Gratitude, Reverence and Wonder are some of the virtues that can grow when we teach children to Honor the Spirit.
For details of The Virtues Project go to their website at www.virtuesproject.com.
Below is the basic list of 100 virtues:
* Ms. Biteena Frazier, is a School Counselor, and will be training staff in The Five Strategies® of The Virtues Project® at a school in the middle-east, with children from over 40 countries around the globe! She will be involved with The JNP Project as our Ambassador to the Middle-East, and will be Skyping with me regularly. As Biteena grows into her role, I will share more with you on the positive learning and experiences she is having overseas.
Join Jane, Jake and all their friends on the adventures to discover your inner awesome, together!
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Note: This Blog is a chronological diary of a start-up-company—The JNP Project’s Journey—reading it from the start, will broaden your understanding of the path we are on, together, and hopefully, positively influence you in some way!
FYI Tip: To get the overall understanding of Character Traits & Virtues, and the Language of Virtues, read all of the 8 blogs in this Founder’s Blog series.
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