Virtue

How often today, do we hear this wisdom word, VIRTUE?

Sadly, not often.  "Virtue" according to my Merriam Webster dictionary means three different things.  I would like to focus on its main meaning, which applies to ourselves.   I am going to write about my interpretation  of virtue, and the following part of the dictionary definition:  " Conformity to a standard of right, Morality, Power to accomplish a "given effect".  "A standard of Moral Excellence". Chastity".

Do you have your morals and values, exclusive to you, outlined clearly for yourself?  More importantly, do you honor those morals and values, (personal to each of us), in a world that promotes and advertises a lack of virtues by confusing them with judgement?

When I think of virtue, I know there have been periods in my life, when my virtue veered off the path of life God has always hoped I would stay on. How do I know the direction I am supposed to take?  I listen to my inner voice and his.  Ask yourself if every single time you haven't honored your virtue, prior to that, did an inner voice talk to you or, didn't you have an uncomfortable feeling internally?  Yes, would be my guess.  We did not listen to our inner voice," the voice of our spirit and integrity";   The"voice of wisdom for ourselves".

 I have always experienced a feeling of devaluing myself, when I have made decisions that didn't honor my virtue.  The feeling I am talking about was that " uneasy feeling inside me".  My wisdom word definition for "virtue" is honoring the morals, values, integrity, and heartfelt importance with high priority of who you are and what you know in your heart is right, or wrong.  "The wisdom within".

How do we know when are not honoring our personal virtue?  We listen, to ourselves and think about our choices and the consequences of our actions in making this choice.  Your inner voice is your virtue.  The "inner voice" is stronger than any voice you can speak aloud.  The inner voice is your voice of integrity. However, our inner voice can argue with itself!

What do I mean?  Often, before going against our Virtue, argue internally with that inner voice.  We have a smaller voice which is a voice of JUSTIFICATION.  It tells the other voice, reasons why you can dishonor yourself, and that is why it takes a STRONG individual to honor his or her VIRTUE.

What happens when we don't honor our virtue?  Generally, the consequences of not listening to your inner voice are not something EXTERNAL.  The consequences of Virtue, and honoring or dishonoring it, are INTERNAL.  We devalue who we are.  When we dishonor our virtue, we internally violate ourselves and how we feel about who we are.  We dishonor our beliefs, and more important, our values.  Only you can honor yourself.  "SELF"-esteem", "SELF-respect.  All of the things, that stand for what makes us unique, and the wisdom of knowledge of our personal virtue.  Only YOU can stand up for your virtue.  Therefor, the consequences are internal.

 Every single time you dishonor your virtue, you lose tiny amounts of who and what you genuinely stand for.  We lose The "unique essence"  of who you are.  SL

(Look for my dictionary of wisdom words soon to come!)

VIRTUE  is PERSONAL!  We don't judge others.  When you follow your virtue, you honor what you believe is right for you, not others.  You know this, because the "voice of virtue" is loud and clear IF you choose to listen to it.

We all have a "strong inner voice".  This inner voice is your voice of your actions and choices.   The inner voice is the voice that talks to your heart and tells you what you can live with and what you can't.  The verbal voice we use to talk, but can only be used to communicate our words to others.  

Actions must follow to place any meaning in your words.  "The verbal voice is second to, the inner voice. The Virtue voice is our voice of action and behavior and choices personal to ourselves.  This is separate from the verbal voice we use to talk with and make our promises with, and for it to really work, it must be united with your inner voice.   The consequences of not listening to our inner voice that is so full of intuition and instinct, can lead to dishonoring our virtue.

When we dishonor our virtue, it is easier to dishonor it the next time, and repeat the behavior.  When we do it enough, whatever it is that was important to us, is no longer important after we continue to repeat the mistake.  We are human and dishonoring our virtue, will happen in our lives many times because we are constantly "challenged in life with what is right or wrong for us.

Society convinces us of something different than who we are, and that conflict makes it easier to choose to ignore your virtue voice.

I am a parent, and do from time to time to brag about my children.   When I think of virtue, I think of how and who my daughter is and what she stands for.  She does not question her virtue.  She honors it with her actions, which stand in unison with her words.  She follows her virtue and is a wonderful example to me of who I aspire to be, and I am often filled with pride and honor, because she is my daughter, or wait!

Aren't I supposed to be the one teaching her?  What makes our relationship so special, is we teach one another.  I pray these wisdom words will stand for all I know she believes in.  SL