How can a person improve their character in the midst of a limp and prostrate society? Maybe it feels like you’re at a disadvantage because of your upbringing or the flaws within your parent’s character. Either way, there’s a choice to be made; you can either go with the flow or swim upstream — against the current and into a place of abundance. It should be noted, that what goes with the flow, also sinks to the bottom and take a wild guess at what goes with the flow and sinks to the bottom……you got it. Don’t do that.

“Many are under the illusion that they see the world as it is, when in fact we all see the world as we are” Ancient Teacher

You Have Total Control
An angry, bitter and unhappy person will often see that same world reflected back to them. This is because the outside world and other people especially, act as mirrors to our inner state. On the other hand, if you’re loving, forgiving, and friendly, this is the world that will greet you everyday. Whether you believe it or not, you do have control over your circumstances.

Most of us are familiar with the regular maintenance that our cars need to keep us from getting stranded on the interstate at 4am. The point is that, if we put so much effort into the maintenance of our cars to keep us from getting stranded, how much more valuable then is your character? Your character is part of what defines you, it affects the opportunities that come your way or don’t, who enters or exits your life and whether or not you feel content.

Moral Decline of the West
The west has seen a constant degradation in moral values over the last 50 years. It seems to have gained steam over the last decade to the present condition of moral decay and rot. What’s to blame for this monumental backslide? Did it happen by accident, and are there long term consequences to a people and nation when its moral foundation crumbles? Abortion, addiction to TV and materialism, corruption, divorce, foul language, infidelity, drug use (legal & illegal) mockery, pornography, prostitution, violence and top it off with an epidemic of unethical business principals that revolve around the almighty dollar.

Virtue and Good Character
Virtue is moral excellence or a character trait valued as being good. Every virtue supports and is supported by every other virtue, and so raising one, will help to uplift every other and vice versa. To perfect one virtue is to perfect all of them. It might help to imagine them interconnected as a matrix or web. Every virtue is a unique pathway to complete wholeness and well-being. Bravery, compassion, discernment, eloquence, faithfulness, generosity, humor, innocence, loyalty, moderation, openness, wisdom, and unity are all virtues that will serve the person who finds them, well. The inner qualities of your nature will naturally branch outwards into your everyday life and by their very nature, the virtues within you are loveable.

“The prosperity of a country depends, not on the abundance of its revenues, nor on the strength of its fortifications, nor on the beauty of its public buildings; but it consists in the number of its cultivated citizens, in its men of education, enlightenment, and character; here are to be found its true interest, its chief strength, its real power.” Martin Luther

Attaining Good Character
• Simply focusing your awareness on a virtue will help the natural reintegration of it. Meditate on one virtue everyday, and make it a goal to live up to those standards for that day.
• We learn best by observing and interacting. Be intentional and put yourself in the good company of the wise and virtuous. You may not always be aware, but subconsciously you’re mind is taking notes which will manifest through your character in the form of thoughts, speech and action.
• As you become conscious and more alert, your actions will start to change, but not vice versa. What I mean is, you can change your actions, and it won’t necessarily have an effect on your consciousness. But as your consciousness becomes more settled, all your life patterns will change and virtue will automatically flow from your being.

The most influential of all virtues are those which seem the most common. Dr. Abbot – The Archbishop of Canterbury, had a dear friend named Thomas Sackville who’d suddenly passed away. In reverence to his beloved friend, the Archbishop didn’t dwell upon his merits as a statesman, or his genius as a poet, but upon his virtues as a man in relation to the ordinary duties of life. “How many rare things were in him!” said he. “Who more loving unto his wife?–Who more kind unto his children?–Who more fast unto his friend?–Who more moderate unto his enemy?–Who more true to his word?” “Indeed, we can always better understand and appreciate a man’s real character by the manner in which he conducts himself towards those who are the most nearly related to him, and by his transaction of the seemingly commonplace details of daily duty, than by his public exhibition of himself as an author, an orator, or a statesman” Samuel Smiles

Vice
All vice is caused by a lack of love in a specific area. If you can accustom yourself to feel compassion and loving towards yourself despite any vice you may have displayed, then you’ll soon find it dissipating and your natural virtuous nature will then resurface effortlessly. Arrogance, cowardice, disloyalty, envy, greed, impatience, jealousy, vanity and weakness, are all manifested vices due to a lack of virtue. The embodiment of anyone of these will indeed tear the very fabric of life in which they come into contact.

Time to take Charge
Realizing the state of moral decay in which you live can be overwhelming and make a person feel threatened. Many of us are emotionally saturated with work, family and every day problems and adding just one more thing to an already overflowing plate can be crushing. And it’s because of this cycle that most retreat to the rectangle box in the corner of the room after our 9-5, in hopes of forgetting the woes of life and yet somehow, this only compounds the day’s problems. This mentality is the equivalence of letting life happen to you, and is the opposite of taking control and living it to the fullest. I challenge you to take courage, face obstacles head on and develop your character to become the best that you can be.

Exercise: If you would, read through each virtue and contemplate how you can grow in that particular area. Then, try to figure out the correlating vice for each virtue and consider any past hurt or regret that’s come with the manifestation of those vices. I’ve included a link to a more complete list of virtues below. Good luck!
http://www.virtuescience.com/virtuelist.html

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