Definitions: (1) possessing the power of seeing beforehand; prescience; (2) having thoughtful regard or provision for the future; prudent forethought; (3) exhibiting the ability to project to oneself and others the consequences of actions to be taken (and proceeding if possible and curtailing if unwise)

Quote: Lacking foresight, evolution is simply opportunistic, retaining those features that were available when opportunity knocked. … It even created the capacity for music and poetry and humor – somehow. — William H. Calvin (1939-) American theoretical neurophysiologist; The River That Flows Uphill {1986}

Comment: All of the confusion, frustration, and sorrow caused by war, greed, corruption, and ignorance have a hope of being mitigated if large numbers of people, individually, decide to focus on some general good. People may turn to the positive because they are tired of the misery they have wrought upon themselves and others. We can have the foresight to seek the light beyond our own desires.
     The most permanent of these disasters is the ongoing destruction of plants, animals, and habitats which may take another hundred generations to rebuild – if they can come back at all.
     We need to extend our vision into the future. But more importantly we need to extend our love and concern to those people who will be facing these sad consequences. After all, they are our children.

Definition: self-controlled when subject to annoyance or provocation; patient; long-suffering

Familial Qualities: determined, stick-to-itive

Quotes:
• The two powers which constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing. — Epictetus (50-135) Greek Stoic philosopher
• Forbearance is the root of quietness and assurance forever. — Tokugawa Ieyasu [born Matsudaira Takechiyo] (1543–1616) Founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan

Comment: Forbearance is greater than tolerance, greater than patience, greater, even, than long-suffering. It includes a clarity of understanding, and a knowing faith, in the truth that all things work together for the greatest good.

Symbol: the ox

Definition: being of the very best quality; exceptionally good; first-class; tip-top; of great worth; superior; admirable; crackerjack

Derivation: Latin, “out, beyond, lofty”

Synonyms: choice, par excellence, prime, sterling, transcendent

Quotes:
• Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time. — Habeeb Akande (~1990’s-) British-Nigerian writer
• When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few, if any of us, can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools. — Michael LeBoeuf (1942-) American business author

Definition: irresistibly attractive; bewitching; fascinating

Synonyms: captivating, enrapturing, entrancing, ravishing

Compatible Quality: trusting

Poetry:
‘Tis distance lends enchantment to the view,
and robes the mountain in its azure hue.
— Thomas Campbell (1763–1854) Irish minister, religious reformer on the American frontier

Quotes:
• The enchanting charms of this sublime science reveal only to those who have the courage to go deeply into it. — Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855) German mathematician & geodesist
• I have always tried to live by the ‘awe principle.’ That is: Can I find awe, wonder, and enchantment in the most mundane things conceivable? — Craig M. Hatkoff (1954-) American author & entrepreneur

Symbol: sweet william flowers

Definitions: (1) grace and dignified in fine design, manner, or style; luxurious in a restrained, tasteful way; first-rate; (2) characterized by a sense of propriety and refinement; fastidious; (3) excellent; savoir-vivre <ability to live elegantly>

Compatible Quality: Arbiter Elegantiarum (Latin): “judge of elegance”

Quotes:
• What is elegance? Soap and water! — Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (1904–1980) British photographer & designer
• Genius ain’t anything more than elegant common sense. — Josh Billings [[born Henry Wheeler Shaw] (1818-1885) American humorist

Definitions: (1) preparation of the mental, moral, and physical powers by instruction, self-management, and exercise; (2) the result of training; self-control; orderly conduct

Synonyms:  ascetic, self-correcting, self-educated, self-regulating

Compatible Qualities: commitment, striving

Quotes:
• Seek freedom and become captive to your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty. — Frank Patrick Herbert Jr. (1920-1986) Chapterhouse Dune {1985}
• Discipline is the bridge between thought and accomplishment … the bridge between inspiration and value achievement … the bridge between necessity and productivity. — Emanuel James “Jim” Rohn (1930-2009) American motivational speaker

Advice: What time of day are you the sharpest, most energetic, most clear-headed? Are you a morning person or a late-night person? Don’t fritter away this valuable time with mundane or routine tasks. Do the most difficult and important things at your optimum time.

Questions:
• What must I do?
• What will it take?
• Who must I become?

Symbol: the yoke

Definitions: (1) of high repute; worthy of honor; esteemed; noble; (2) loftiness of appearance or manner; stately; (3) calm self-possession and self-respect

Quotes:
• We are nothing if we walk alone; we are everything when we walk together in step with other dignified feet. — Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente (1957-) Mexican soldier
• Maturity is the ability to think, speak and act your feelings within the bounds of dignity. The measure of your maturity is how spiritual you become during the midst of your frustrations. — Samuel Ullman (1840–1924) American businessman, poet, & humanitarian

Color: violet

Symbol: sun-shade (Chinese)

Fictional Figure: Hermione is an example of “dignity without pride, love without passion, and tenderness without weakness.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616) The Winter’s Tale {1623}

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

Quotes:
• Most moral codes say “either-or” . . . while the universe itself seems to be filled instead with a whole lot of “maybes.” — Glen David Brin (1950-) Earth {1990}
• Humor functions to lessen the shock of the unexpected impact of fact or of truth, rigid unyielding fact and flexible ever-living truth. The mortal personality, never sure as to which will next be encountered, through humor swiftly grasps—sees the point and achieves insight—the unexpected nature of the situation be it fact or be it truth. (48:4.18) — The Urantia Book {1955}

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 intellectual/emotional levels, flexibility is essential for dealing with the variability of life’s situations and interactions with other people. And spiritually when 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.

Definitions: (1) worthy of great respect; highly regarded; estimable; (2) motivated by principles of decency with a scrupulous regard to probity, rectitude, or reputation

Synonyms: dignity, nobility, renown, upright

Quotes:
• What is honored in a country is cultivated there. — Plato (428-348 bc) Greek philosopher
     Note also: What is honored in the self is also cultivated there.
• If children are expected to be honest, parents must be honest. If children are expected to be virtuous, parents must be virtuous. If you expect your children to be honorable, you must be honorable. —  James Esdras Faust (1920–2007) American president of the LDS church

Symbol: the turtle

Definitions: (1) using or showing vision, creativity, or productive talent; (2) able to conceptualize or feel a situation other than that within one’s personal experience

Synonyms: ideal, inventive, original, poetical, romantic

Too Far: Imagination taken to an animated level becomes fantasy. Fantasy taken too far makes for an unreal inner world. Balance your fantasy with hands-on experience and follow-through.

Quotes:
• What is now proved was once imagined. — William Blake (1757-1827) English poet
• Imagination is more important than knowledge. — Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-American physicist
• Most people look at what is and never see what can be. — Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-American physicist
• Don’t rely on words or equations until you can picture the idea they represent. — Lewis Carroll Epstein (~1940’s-) and Paul G. Hewitt (1930-) American physicists
• You can find in a text whatever you bring, if you will stand between it and the mirror of your imagination. You may not see your ears, but they are there. — Mark Twain [born Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835-1910) American humorist
• Look about you this moment: Everything you see and touch was once [an] invisible idea until someone chose to bring it into being. Any powerful idea is absolutely fascinating and absolutely useless until we choose to use it. — Richard Bach (1936-) One {1988}

Comments:
• Reality responds to imaginings like lightning to a rod. There is a corresponding actual reality in direct proportion to the potential reality of your imagination.
• You can use your imagination against yourself too. We are very creative about how we should feel – good or bad. Most of our negative self-talk is pure imagination.

Color: yellow

Symbols: 1) wings; 2) flight; 3) the moon;4) Gemini (The Zodiac)