Divine Definitions: (1) Imparting reassurance, encouragement, and strength; (2) Bringing solace and consolation in times of distress; (3) Providing grace, hope, and cheer; (4) Showing compassion and soul soothing kindness; (5) Bestowing satisfaction and contentment; (6) The Teacher of all things

Comments:
• Definition number six, “the Teacher of all things,” helps us understand how comfort is beyond a simple hug with a sympathetic, “It will be all right. I’ll help you through this.” Comfort also includes information, security, and understanding. The more we know the more comfortable we feel.
• Some of God’s qualities (omnipotence, omniscience) are impossible to share. Some, like comfort, are where we have our opportunity to be like Him. We can give comfort, in all of its forms (teacher, listener, inventor, nurse) to our brothers and sisters; all the while getting better as we practice.

COMFORTING
Human Definitions: (1) imparting encouragement and strength; heartening; (2) bringing solace or cheer to someone; consoling; reassuring; (3) providing grace, hope, and cheer; showing compassion and soul soothing kindness; (4) bestowing satisfaction and contentment; (5) commodious

Synonyms: relieving, supportive

Quotes:
• Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and repeat to yourself, the most comforting words of all; this, too, shall pass. — Esther Pauline “Eppie” Lederer [pen name: Ann Landers] (1918-2002) Advice columnist
• We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. — Viktor Emil Frankl (1905-1997) Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, & Holocaust survivor

Divine Definitions: (1) The most exquisite Person in the universe. The Divine gift to every person that enhances pleasure to the senses, exalts the mind, and elevates spiritual reality; (2) The aesthetic effect produced by harmony; (3) The essence of any excellent quality; (4) Grace with charm; delightful; (5) Intensely pleasing; extremely fine; (6) Artistic; attractive; lovely

Quotes:
• Beauty springs from God and it is like a circle, the center of which is Goodness. — Baldassare Castiglione (1478–1529) Italian diplomat & author
• Beauty is always triumphant over ugliness in the hearts of all who are illuminated by the love of truth. — Jesus of Nazareth (7 BC-30 AD), The Urantia Book, 156:5.5 {1955}

Reflection: Our idea of beauty is so paltry compared with the grandeur of Divine Beauty that it seems hopelessly meager. And yet these are the words we have available to use. One possibility is to extend the concept from an idea to an ideal and then it can be felt as well as known.

BEAUTY
Human Definitions: (1) the quality or combination of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses, exalts the mind, and/or elevates the spirit by their harmony, pattern, excellence, or truth; loveliness; (2) any particularly attractive, graceful, ornamental, or excellent characteristic; (3) a special grace or charm; delightful; (4) generally pleasing; very fine

Synonyms: adornment, embellishment, exquisite, fair, picturesque, seemly

Saying: Beaux yeux (French): “beautiful eyes” [beauty of face]

Poetry:
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.
— William Shakespeare (1564–1616) King John {1623}

Quotes:
• Beauty, like music, lives inside you, and you impress its qualities on whatever you choose. — Victor L. Wooten (1964-) American Bassist & author, The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music {2008}
• Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American philosopher
• Beauty is built into every jot and tittle of creation – into every atomic brick! Beauty soaks reality like water fills a rag. — Chet Raymo (1936-) American naturalist
• Beauty is a living reality that must be practiced to be fully realized. And the receiving and giving rhythm of appreciation and expression is how beauty is acted out and embodied. — Steve McIntosh (1960-) American author
• The world in which we live needs beauty if it is not to fall into despair. Beauty, like truth … is a precious fruit which withstands the ravages of time, which unites generations and which prompts them to communicate. — Second Vatican Council {1962} Message to Artists

Comments:
• Even if the physics of optics could explain a rainbow to the mind, the beauty of the experience must also be appreciated, and is even more important to the spirit.
• Is it necessary to experience ugliness in order to appreciate beauty? Do you think of the beautiful when you’re watching a movie about the holocaust? Do you think about the grotesque when you’re standing in awe over the Grand Canyon? Beauty stands in awe of itself. It is complete unto itself.
• Nature is the ultimate example of beauty on the material level. With nature, beauty is delicate and powerful, and easy to identify. The human being is the ultimate example of beauty on the personal level. Our first experience of another person is their physical manifestation, but that skin-deep attractiveness must soon be backed up with the qualities of real inner beauty, or the outer beauty soon becomes a sham. And if a person’s outer manifestation is not so handsome or pretty, then one must be open to experiencing their inner qualities to see their true nature.

Experience: My experience while hiking in the Grand Canyon combines varying aspects of beauty: the life-giving element of water, the juxtaposition of rough and sculpted rock, the play of light, the overcoming of the obstacles, being able to share it all with friends, and the deep appreciation of it all. It is truly a divine gift.

Colors: white [within which all color is contained], yellow

Symbols: 1) the eagle; 2) the rose

Legendary Figure: Helen of Troy, whose beauty was said to be able to launch a thousand ships

Mythological Figures: 1) Frigga, wife of Odin, is the supreme Scandinavian goddess; 2) Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty, who was also the goddess of spring and blossoms; 3) Blouwedd, the Scottish goddess of youth, spring, and beauty, was a maiden who was formed of flowers and miraculously came to life.

Divine Definitions: (1) The Giver of gifts; the Person with the most lavish generosity; (2) The Benefactor of examples and life lessons; (3) The application of devotion to the universe <He bestows his love upon all his children.>

Observation: Many great people have lived remarkable lives: Jesus, Buddha, Lao-Tse, Saints (known and unknown). These lives, lived in the service of The Truth, are a gift, an example of how to live. All personalities can choose to amplify themselves to the exalted character they are meant to be. And when they do, they become a bestower of the gift of themselves upon humanity.

Comment: Among the gifts which have been bestowed upon us are: life, personality, body, mind, spirit, grace, freewill, and revelation (external and internal).

GENEROUS
Human Definitions: (1) liberal in sharing; unselfish; a warmhearted readiness to give; bountiful; (2) free from meanness or pettiness; open-handed; (3) magnanimous; noble-minded; gracious

Balancing Quality: Practical

Too Far: poverty

Quotes:
• If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. — Leslie Townes “Bob” Hope(1903-2003) American comedian
• If you get great pleasure and joy out of giving of yourself, then your “selfishness” manifests itself as generosity. — Judy Kain (1948-) American Empath

Parable: The Bible story of the employer who paid those who worked all day the same as those who worked just at the end of the day shows generosity to be a greater quality than consistency.

Comment: Generosity does not mean only the giving of money. It also includes the sharing of ideas, establishing positive systems and infrastructure, caring for physical and emotional needs, even helping control those who cannot control themselves.
     An attitude of generosity may or may not include an overt or hidden sense of payback. But the best generosity gives without expectations.

Observation: One of God’s most heartwarming characteristics is Absolute Generosity.

Symbol: a mountain (Chinese)

Divine Definitions: (1) The Person from which everything emanates; (2) The foundational focal point; the nucleus; (3) The place of tranquil quiescence; stationary and still (4) The fundamental source of power and authority; (5) The convergence of every part of reality <physical force, personality and mind circuits, spiritual and physical gravity, and all life>; (6) The destiny of everything; the nexus (7) Holding everything together; cosmic cohesiveness

Inspiration: God encompasses all reality, is its source and center, is extant throughout it, and is its ultimate destination.

CENTERED
Human Definitions: (1) composed and poised; in control of the mind and emotions; (2) placed or fixed at or around an axis; focused; (3) gathering together; concentrating; (4) holding a moderate or central position; (5) in a place of tranquil quiescence; stationary and still

Quotes:
• A mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the universe. — Wayne Walter Dyer (1940–2015) American self-help author
• The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective – people who know to see a problem as an opportunity. — Deepak Chopra (1946-) Indian-American author

Symbols: 1) the number one; 2) the tree [as the world axis]

Definitions: (1) having easy and open access to; approachable; friendly; intimate; (2) receiving with gladness or delight <you are always welcome>; courteous, cordial; (3) able to be contacted, appreciated, or discovered

Quote: Nature promotes mutualism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees provide a welcoming home to so many birds and animals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness. — Ram Nath Kovind (1945-) Indian politician, 14^th president of India

Observation: A welcoming person projects an air of friendliness by putting others at ease.

(INVITING)
Definitions: (1) offering the promise of an attractive or enjoyable experience; (2) polite urging; a welcome request

Quote: Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.— Martha Graham (1894–1991) American dancer and choreographer

Definitions: (1) stimulating or exciting; having gusto; zippy; (2) adding a pleasant tang or zing to; piquant; (3) sedulous

Quote: Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest. — Christian Emest Dior (1905–1957) French fashion designer

Definitions: (1) ardent in the pursuit of an object; enthusiastic; (2) full of, characterized by, showing, or sowing fervor or passion; (3) giving wholehearted commitment

Compatible Qualities: Intelligent enthusiasm, High ideals, Deep understanding

Too Far: fanatic

Saying: Practices zealously pursued pass into habits.

Quote: Don’t let our outside labels or how fervent we look or zealous we are or how righteous we seem; that’s not how you measure yourself against other people. Everyone is a child of God; if we really believed that, we’d treat each other better. — Mitchell “Mitch” David Albom (1958-) American author & musician

Comment: It is hard to be zealous in tedium. In order to proceed with a tedious task, one must transcend the boredom with a higher purpose; i.e., zealous concentration on the accomplishment of the chore by focusing on the idea you are doing some good for someone else, the community, or society as a whole.

Color: red

Definition: whimsically comical; clownishly crazy; wildly absurd

Derivation: Italian, “a clownish performance”

Quotes:
• Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity. — Thor Heyerdahl (1914 – 18 April 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer & ethnographer
• Master the zany habit of thinking backwards. It will help you become a really great thinker! — Lucas Remmerswaal, New Zealand journalist

Definitions: (1) very pleasing to the senses <especially if tasty or tasteful>; delicious; delectable; succulent; (2) a general quality of approval or appreciation

Saying: One should always keep their words soft and tender for tomorrow they may have to eat them.

Quote: Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. — Winston Francis Groom Jr. (1943–2020) Forest Gump {1986}

Symbols: 1) the tummy; 2) the tongue

Foods: 1) Love; 2) Creativity; 3) Music; 4) Nature; 5) Humor; 6) Gratitude; 7) Communion with the Divine

Definition: amusing in a clever way; exhibiting ironic humor

Quotes:
• In the beginning was the thing … and one thing led to another. — Thomas “Tom” Eugene Robbins (1936-2025) American novelist, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas {1994}
• A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. — William Arthur Ward (1921–1994) American motivational writer
• Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. — Clive James [born Vivian Leopold James] (1939–2019) Australian journalist