Virtue of the Week: Cheerfulness

Virtues (Shutterstock)

Virtue of the Week focuses on building peaceful and caring communities through understanding and fostering the practice of virtues. The Source supports the Virtues Project and will publish one virtue developed by the project each week.

Cheerfulness is seeing the bright side and looking for the good in whatever happens. It is maintaining a positive attitude of optimism and confidence. When we give cheerfully we are wholeheartedly helpful. Even when life is challenging, we make the best of it. We trust that all will be well. We nurture happiness.

A cheerful smile can light up everyone’s day.

Quote:
“There is one thing one has to have: either a soul that is cheerful by nature, or a soul made cheerful by work, love, art, and knowledge.” Francois Marie Voltaire

Practicing Cheerfulness
I keep a positive outlook.
I look for ways to be helpful.
I give wholeheartedly.
I am optimistic amidst the currents of life.
I feel confident and happy.
I trust in the goodness of life.

I am thankful for the gift of Cheerfulness. It lightens my soul.

Questions for discussion
– What helps me stay positive when when working on social justice issues?
– When life is challenging how do I make the best of it?
– How do I help lift up the spirits of others who may have suffered injustice?
– What do we need in order to be cheerful about the future we are co-constructing?

The Virtues Project is provided by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands in partnership with Virtues Matter.

Virtues Matter was started by a wife-husband team of social entrepreneurs seeking to positively uplift as many lives as possible. We aim to inspire and empower, to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and help everyone lead lives of passion and purpose.

Virtues Matter believes in a world where people are committed to kindness and respect, strive to be their best, and live with hope, courage, and in unity. We built the Virtues Cards mobile app, an interactive personal and team development tool, to help people identify and develop key virtues skills. We also offer dynamic workshops, online training, and customized programs to help people cultivate these positive qualities of character. To learn more, visit virtuesmatter.com.