This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Chastity (Week 12 of 12)
Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. Chastity is generally defined as either complete purity, or no premarital sex. One thing I did learn about Benjamin Franklin is that he had sex, and lots of it. So why did he make chastity as one of his virtues? What are the real benefits of chastity?
It is my belief that what Benjamin Franklin meant, in terms of chastity, was to not have sex for the wrong reason. Sex itself it not the problem, but a great way for people to connect, to experience pleasure, and to relieve sexual energy.
One way to not use sex inappropriately would be to the point where you disrespect someone. If it’s done in a mature, passionate way, without hu
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Tranquility (Week 11 of 12)
Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. This week has been a particularly interesting one for me. In fact, tranquility, peace, and serenity are very important life goals that I strive to achieve.
To me, tranquility is a state of being, in which you possess a stillness, during which you are capable of fully experiencing the present moment. This stillness is calm, involves emotional mastery, and being fully conscious. You are actually able to reach clarity by stifling all the excess noise coming in from your subconscious mind and the world around you.
Tranquility is an interesting concept to adopt into your reality. We’ve all experienced moments of tranquility, but it’s a completely different thing to lead a life of tranquil
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Cleanliness (Week 10 of 12)
Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. For most people, this virtue is kind of a no-brainer. In today’s society, it’s pretty much mandated that people be clean, well-groomed and have a good odor. However, there are a few other things that occur when a person practices good hygiene.
Clarity. When my home is clean I feel a reduction in mental load. When there are clothes and other items scattered about, I have to keep track of their new positions. I’ll know exactly where each piece of clothes is laying in which corner. This is good because I can find it quickly, but it’s bad because it’s taking up room in my brain. Not only am I remembering where it should be, but where it is as well. When I combine, where it shou
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Moderation (Week 9 of 12)
Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. In my opinion moderation is a force to be reckoned with. Moderation is the balance between a happy and healthy lifestyle. It is the glue that holds all your goals and ambitions together, so they do not fade or crumble.
In my own life I notice that I am most happy when I have the most balance. Keeping in mind what I intend to explore, strengthen and share in this website, let’s call them pillars of success:
Health and Fitness
Productivity/ Goal Setting / Motivation
Communication/Relationships
Accelerated Learning
Wealth and Abundance
Spirituality
Self improvement, self help and personal growth
These seven pillars represent a very powerful force that sh
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Justice (Week 8 of 12)
Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Part of what made Benjamin Franklin so outstanding was that he took the well-being of other people into account. I can see how this must have lead to many difficult decisions for him as a politician. He must have constantly had to decide between doing good for the majority versus a minority of people. Sometimes there just isn’t a choice that seems right. What do you do then?
To tell you the truth, Justice is a very heavy subject, one that I do not claim to fully understand. In fact, Justice has been debated for thousands of years, by many brilliant philosophers and there is still no unanimous consensus on what is Just.
How I decide what is just
Is it ethical/moral
Is it legal
Am I treating s
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Sincerity (Week 7 of 12)
Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. During week 2 I covered Silence. During that week I concentrated on avoiding gossip and only speaking of things that were useful to myself or others. Sincerity takes on a bit of a different twist.
There were some people in my life that I looked down upon. I focused on the negative aspect of their character and let those factors define who they were. There really isn’t anything innocent or just about the way I was approaching these situations. I figured that I just had to “put up” with them and that was enough. Just being fake, forcing a conversation, all for the sake of someone else.
There were a couple of specific people that I had judged. (No names). one was s
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Industry (Week 6 of 12)
Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. Benjamin Franklin was part of many facets of government, society, and relationships within the state of Pennsylvania.
Neighbors would often see Benjamin working the printing press from sun up to sun down, earning him much admiration. Such industrious behavior kept him busy, out of trouble, and ahead of all competition. He eventually secured the number one printing agency around, and syndicated his feed (…err paper) into several other states.
It’s easy to stay industrious and work hard when you have goals that you are passionate about. You can always reflect on them, and realize that frivolous activities just aren’t rewarding compared to achieving your dreams.
When I wrote ab
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. I strongly urge that you read the first article in order to get a sense of what is going on here.
Frugality (Week 5 of 12)
Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. Benjamin Franklin was good at managing money. In fact, he was so good at it, he was trusted by all the people of Philadelphia (ok, not all , but many!).
The technique that I have been using in order to remain frugal this past week has been asking myself a series of simple question.
Can I live without this purchase?
Can I get a cheaper alternative without sacrificing quality?
Can I use it and return it? (just kidding!)
Another thing that I factored into the equation was the cost of my purchase, if it became a habit. For example, buying a cup of coffee ($1), could turn into a daily habit, and in one year I would spend a considerable amount ($365).
You can also add the incentive of what kind of toll
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. The twelve weeks will allow you to tap into your hidden potential and become a productive power house like the infamous “first American”, Benjamin Franklin.
While I believe that anyone and everyone could accomplish “outstanding” status, I also believe that it takes dedication and elbow grease. I present you with a step-by-step guide to accomplishing this goal, just dig in and start now.
The way the excel journals function is that I work on one virtue per week, concentrating all my efforts on the task as hand, while recording the slip ups in the other virtues as they progress naturally. I won’t comment on the slip ups until that specific virtue gets its week.
Resolution (Week 4 of 12)
My Progress With Resolution
Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. This virtue took a lot of motivation on my part, but now I can say that I get it! In order
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. The twelve weeks will allow you to tap into your hidden potential and become a productive power house like the infamous “first American”, Benjamin Franklin.
While I believe that anyone and everyone could accomplish “outstanding” status, I also believe that it takes dedication and elbow grease. I present you with a step-by-step guide to accomplishing this goal, just dig in and start now.
You may notice that the excel charts display all the virtues that I mark with only one being in the spotlight . In the interest of saving time and being direct I will not discuss the outcomes of the other virtues, although you can see asterisk by where I slip up. I will go into more detail only when a virtue is being featured and in the recap at the end.
Order (Week 3 of 12)
My progress with Order.
Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. Benjamin F
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. The twelve weeks will allow you to tap into your hidden potential and become a productive power house like the infamous “first American”, Benjamin Franklin.
While I believe that anyone and everyone could accomplish “outstanding” status, I also believe that it takes dedication and elbow grease. I present you with a step-by-step guide to accomplishing this goal, just dig in and start now.
The way the excel journals function is that I work on one virtue per week, concentrating all my efforts on the task as hand, while recording the slip ups in the other virtues as they progress naturally. I won’t comment on the slip ups until that specific virtue gets its week.
Silence (Week 2 of 12)
My progress with Silence.
Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. This virtue is particularly important because it eliminates hours of wasted time, in the
This article is part of the How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks series. The twelve weeks will allow you to tap into your hidden potential and become a productive power house like the infamous “first American”, Benjamin Franklin.
While I believe that anyone and everyone could accomplish “outstanding” status, I also believe that it takes dedication and elbow grease. I present you with a step-by-step guide to accomplishing this goal, just dig in and start now.
The way the excel journals function is that I work on one virtue per week, concentrating all my efforts on the task as hand, while recording the slip ups in the other virtues as they progress naturally. I won’t comment on the slip ups until that specific virtue gets its week.
Temperance (Week 1 of 12)
My progress with Temperance.
Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. This means to practice self-control when consuming food and alcoholic beverages. The feeling of dullness
Wanting to become an outstanding person does not guarantee success. In fact, having the motivation and desire to become outstanding does not guarantee you anything. Sounds a little pessimistic? Read on, as I explain what will make you an outstanding person, in twelve weeks time.
Let me begin by telling you what I consider to be outstanding. It is not a measure of success, wealth or popularity among your peers. Outstanding is a measure of a person’s character. Character can be both good and bad, but everyone knows just how to achieve the former so we will explore the latter in more detail.
Virtue as defined by Wikipedia:
Virtue is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. It is “habitual excellence”. It is something practiced at all times. The virtue of perseverance is needed for all and any virtue since it is a habit of character and must be used continuously in order for any person to maintain oneself in virtue.
Now we are cl
Wanting to become an outstanding person does not guarantee success. In fact, having the motivation and desire to become outstanding does not guarantee you anything. Sounds a little pessimistic? Read on, as I explain what will make you an outstanding person, in twelve weeks time.
Let me begin by telling you what I consider to be outstanding. It is not a measure of success, wealth or popularity among your peers. Outstanding is a measure of a person’s character. Character can be both good and bad, but everyone knows just how to achieve the former so we will explore the latter in more detail.
Virtue as defined by Wikipedia:
Virtue is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. It is “habitual excellence”. It is something practiced at all times. The virtue of perseverance is needed for all and any virtue since it is a habit of character and must be used continuously in order for any person to maintain oneself in virtue.
Now we are cl
