Positive Qualities – Important & Judicious

Dear Folks,
He looked at all his choices and said, What would a good person do, and then did it. But he has now learned something very important about human nature. If you spend your whole life pretending to be good, then you are indistinguishable from a good person. — Ender in Exile, Orson Scott Card  (1951-) Public Speaker, Author
We can ask ourselves not only ‘How am I Important?’ but also ‘What (out there) is important?’ This is true of most qualities. Our internal environment is interactive with the external landscape. A Judicious decision may range anywhere from locally politic on up to cosmically wise. Our subjective reality is always enhanced (or shrunk) to the extent of our Objective scope.
Peace,
Jim
          IMPORTANT
Definitions: (1) having much significance, value, or influence; outstanding; of exceptional consequence; great; (2) deserving special notice or attention; noteworthy
Synonyms: dignified, essential, momentous, relevant
Affirmation:

I am inherently important and uniquely designed to do my own thing so perfectly that no one else in the world can do it like me. — Jacquelyn Small, Transformers, The Therapists of the Future

          JUDICIOUS
Definition: possessing sound judgment; discreet; prudent; wise
Synonyms: discerning, expedient, politic, sagacious, sensible, thoughtful, well‑advised, well‑judged
Sayings:
Judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgment.
Ex pede Herculem (Latin): “From the foot of Hercules” [From a part we may judge the whole.]
Quotes:
All the way to heaven is heaven. — Saint Catherine of Siena [born Caterina Benincasa] (1347-1380) Italian Catholic Theologian

Don’t wait for the last judgment. It takes place every day. — Albert Camus (1913-1960) French Algerian Philosopher

Judge men by their fruits, not by their roots; and their fruits are their character, their deeds, and accomplishments. — Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) American Theologian
Reflection: On judgment day, God is not going to ask you what you have done, but who you are becoming.
Symbol: The planet Jupiter

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Positive Qualities – Pizzazz & Urbane

Dear Folks,
Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire. — Thomas Merton (1915-1968) Monk, Author
We think of a person who is Urbane as subdued, even aloof.  We all have a wide range of energetic moods. We can be calm and we can be exuberant. If we add Pizzazz to the qualities described by urbane, we will be delightful company.
Peace,
Jim
            PIZZAZZ
Definitions: (1) attractive style; dash; showing flair or sparkle; (2) energetic with vitality; vigorous; spirited
Compatible Quality: entertaining
            URBANE
Definition: having polite manners; courteous; civil; suave; elegant or refined; sophisticated; polished and poised; pleasantly tactful

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Positive Qualities – Exact & Delicious

Dear Folks,
Overcome . . .
Evil with Good.
Falsehood with Truth.
Hatred with Love.
Ugliness with Beauty.
Selfishness with Thoughtfulness.
Need with Service. . . .
It may seem a stretch to categorize Delicious as a personal positive quality, but anything that is pleasing to the senses can also be agreeable to the mind and heart.
Having an attitude to live Exactly, to put together all of the components of life with precision will result in a polished finish product.
Peace,
Jim

            EXACT
Definitions: (1) observing strict method, rule, or order; meticulous; careful; (2) precisely thought out or stated; definite; (3) highly polishedSynonym: accurate, actual, adjusted, correct, precise, punctual, true
Familial Quality: conscientious
Saying:
Ad unguem (Latin): “to the fingernail”; “to a nicety”; “exactly” (from the use of the fingernail to test the smoothness of marble)

            DELICIOUS

Definitions: (1) highly pleasing to the senses <chiefly to taste or smell>; (2) very agreeable to the mind; delightful

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Positive Qualities – Ethical & Self-respect

Dear Folks,
The Golden Rule (The Ethic of Reciprocity)
You should love your neighbor as yourself. — Judaism, Leviticus 19.18
You should love your neighbor as yourself. — Christianity, Jesus, Matthew 22:39
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. — Christianity, Matthew 7:12
Ethical Self-respect and principled other-respect are reciprocal. In many branches of Christianity there is the idea of the Trinity. How important is personal relationship? It was the first thing God the Father did when he created God the Son.
Note the word “character” in the derivation of ethical as well as in the definition of self-respect.
Peace,
Jim
            ETHICAL
Definitions: (1) exhibiting or practicing the principles of morality; (2) being in accordance with the rules or standards of right conduct; (3) faithful to the standards of a profession or group; (4) showing good judgmentDerivation: Greek, “character,” “custom”
Note: The inner aspect (character) precedes its outer manifestation (custom).
            SELF‑RESPECT
Definition: a proper respect for oneself or for one’s own character and reputation
Balancing Qualities: humility, willfulness
Note: Lack of, or loss of, self‑respect results in inaction due to the diminution of will.
Advice: Idleness diminishes self‑respect. Therefore, stay busy with something constructive you love to do, or have a duty to do. Then turn the duty into an act of love. Self-respect begins with knowing what is worthy of respect; and is gained by loving and serving that value in others.

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Positive Qualities – Daffy & Flexible

Dear Folks,
Human efforts [are] cumulative, something in every effort [is] preserved and added to the whole. — Fifty Degrees Below Zero, Kim Stanley Robinson (1952-)
To see oneself in a humorous light often times means a Flexible attitude is required. Have a Daffy week!
Peace,
Jim
          DAFFY
Definition: crazy; silly; zany
Too Far: foolish
          FLEXIBLE
Definitions: (1) yielding to influence; tractable; (2) capable of responding or conforming to changing or new situations; (3) adaptable physically, emotionally, or mentally
Synonyms: pliable, pliant, supple
Too Far: wishy‑washy
Quote:
Most moral codes say “either‑or” . . . while the universe itself seems to be filled instead with a whole lot of “maybes.” — David Brin (1950 – ) Earth
Reflection: Flexibility can be experienced on many levels. On the physical, a flexible set of muscles helps in your supple and graceful movement. On the emotional, flexibility is essential for dealing with the variability of life’s situations and interactions with other people. As one acquires a broad and balanced set of positive qualities, flexibility is an inevitable result.
Comments:
• Prisoners of war who survived first decided to survive and then were flexible enough to do and be whatever it took to survive.
• People have an incredible capacity to juxtapose seemingly impossible concepts in their psyche, such as killing for peace or cheating for success. Be aware of these incongruities and inconsistencies. If you find you are justifying a point of view, you could take that as a clue; you may be forcing a fit.

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Positive Qualities – Service Minded & Vigorous

Dear Folks,
Like attracts like: Wherever you’re putting your focus is what you’re going to get more of. What you focus on expands. — Lisa M. Gillespie, Mind & Body Therapist
Even if a person is only concerned with enlightened self interest they need to think of someone other than themself. The highest form of Service Mindedness would contain Vigorous portions of self-forgetfulness and selflessness.
Peace,
Jim
            SERVICE MINDED
Definition: demonstrating helpful, beneficial, or friendly conduct; giving assistance or advantage to an individual or the community; thoughtful
Balancing Qualities: To balance confidence and humility practice giving service.
People Who Exemplify This Quality: Martin Luther King (1929-1968) American Peacemaker
Proverb:
When I do not know who I am I serve you.
When I know who I am I am you. — Indian
Quotes:

Do what needs to be done for yourself as if you were doing it for a dear friend. — Jerry Downs (1949 – ) American Philosopher

I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found out how to serve. — Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) Franco-German Theologian

Comment:
Near versus Far
Many think service must be direct and person‑to‑person. Even though this individual support provides an emotional connection to the person served, it is no less valid to serve a wide variety of people, near and far. Entertainers for example distribute their talent for everyone’s enjoyment. Writers serve their readers. If someone makes a tool it is up to the one who uses it to do something with it.
Symbol: the buffalo
            VIGOROUS
Definitions: (1) living or growing with full vital strength; robust; (2) acting with abundant energy and force; powerful
Color: red
Symbol: the hippopotamus (Egyptian)
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Positive Qualities – Rascally & Sapid

Dear Seekers,
You could be better than you are
You could be riding on a star.
— Jimmy Van Heusen (1913-1990) Composer
It is often about degree. We humans are famous for overdoing it. Once we do, it is often an impulse to control our appetites. A little bit of a Rascally attitude will go a long way, and must be opened up only on those occasions, and with those people, who can appreciate it. Add a bit of Sapid thought to your chocolate this week.
Happy Valentines Day,
Jim
            RASCALLY
Definition: a good‑natured mischievous person; a rogue; a scamp <especially as used jokingly and affectionately>
            SAPID
Definitions: (1) agreeable to the mind; interesting; engaging; (2) savory; having a pleasing taste
Derivation: Latin: “to know,” “to taste,” “to perceive”
Mythological Place: Cawther, the lake of paradise, has sweet and cool waters (in the Koran). Anyone who drinks from it will never thirst again.
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Past Masters at Present Imperfect

“We cannot predict what Protestants and Catholics will be fighting about in a hundred years from now. Only that, on past form, they will be fighting about something.”
The first thing that would strike a time-traveller from the 1970s is how secular the protests in Belfast, Northern Ireland are; suggesting that what is still with us is just division – and that division survives both political reform and huge cultural change.
Two books written in the early stages of the current troubles articulate the persistent issues. One was Andrew Boyd’s Holy War in Belfast, which culled old News Letter reports to describe the sectarian rioting in the city in the 1880s. One of the irritants then was the use of Scottish Army regiments against Catholic rioters.
The other book was ATQ Stewart’s classic The Narrow Ground. Stewart asked a simple question: how did the riots of the 20th century in Belfast come to be so similar to the riots of the 19th? He said that the eruption of rioting was like the past itself crashing up through the cobbles and history repeating itself.
Is it true that history itself is a player; that the unfinished business of the past is the problem? Surely one problem with that theory – axiomatic as it seems to be – is that most people know very little history.


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Positive Qualities – Punctilious & Thriving

Dear Folks,
If you only care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it. — William James (1842-1910) Philosopher
One can, and should, be Punctilious without being overly fastidious. There are two important aspects, one is attention to detail and the other is being articulate as well as tactful in what you say.
I’m not sure being punctilious is an essential quality before one can Thrive, but it can’t hurt.
Peace,
Jim
            PUNCTILIOUS
Definitions: (1) careful in the observance of the nicer points of behavior or ceremony; (2) very exact; scrupulous
            THRIVING

Definitions: (1) experiencing increase or success <especially because of good management>; prosperous; (2) flourishing; growing
Quote:

In order that people may be happy in their work, three things are needed: they must be for it, they must not do too much of it, and they must have a sense of success in it. — John Ruskin (1819-1900) English Poet and Artist

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Positive Qualities – Tough & Therapeutic

Dear Folks,
This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. — George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Author
A balance in seemingly opposite positive qualities is essential, but often easier said than done. In order to survive a difficult time a person may have focused on the hard qualities. In order to nurture a young one a person may have acquired the soft qualities. The combination of Tough yet tender, the desire to be heard but with a willingness to listen, possessing a light sense of humor with an understanding of when to be serious – these are Therapeutic.
Peace,
Jim
            TOUGH
Definitions: (1) strong but pliant; yielding to force without tearing or breaking; flexible; resilient; (2) capable of enduring hardship; sturdy; resistant; (3) strong; robust; hardy; durable; vigorous; (4) resolute; firm; tenacious
Balancing Qualities: gentle, reasonable
Symbol: the sword
            THERAPEUTIC
Definitions: (1) concerned with healing the body, mind, or spirit; (2) calming; relaxing
Derivation: Greek, “to treat,”  “to attend to”
Saying: Cura te ipsum (Latin): “Physician, heal thyself.” Luke 4:23

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