If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. Joseph Smith
I left for my run this morning at 5:30 AM. Here in the desert, at this time of year, it is still dark at that time. With the wide open skies and the lights of the stars and the moon it is usually pretty manageable. Today it was extremely dark. There was a low cloud cover and no moon. It made for a treacherous run because I could not see the ground very well.
On my normal routes, there are rocks, small sticker bushes and dips in the trails that can cause quite a bit pain when encountered. All of these hazards were very hard to see this morning and made my run quite a bit more tentative than normal.
The darkness also produced a minor bit of anxiety. I could not see the surrounding area to identify potential dangers. Sometimes I see bobcats, coyotes and other wild animals while I am running. I usually give them the right of way and run around them. It would have been impossible to see them today so I ran with the fear that I might unexpectedly come upon one and be in a bit of danger.
Because I was on alert for dangers on the trail and in the desert I expended more energy than usual. I felt tired as I ran because I was unable to release myself into the run. The darkness forced me to focus more on the trail and my surroundings than I normally do.
This trek in the darkness reminded me how much I love the experiences in my life that generate light. I don't like the darkness. I have experienced dark moments, and I don't like them one bit. I like the moments when I feel my best and those moments are usually surrounded by light bearing experiences. I have learned from my dark moments; but that does not make me want to experience them any more frequently or to seek them out. I want to seek after the good moments.
Virtue: A Commitment To Be True
I love the quote that I cited to begin this post. It reminds me to seek after virtuous experiences. Virtue is a word that is not used very often in our world today. It comes from the latin word virtus and was one of the principle values in the Roman culture. It means to possess great strength and to remain true to self during times of adversity.
Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and an inner strength. They are confident. They have the courage to stand for what is right, even when they stand alone. They are willing to be a light for others to follow. Because it requires one to be distant from the world and its increasing love for dark moments, it is often seen as an old-fashioned value. Virtue does not go along with the crowd. It stands as a shining example of all things that are praiseworthy or of good report.
I sometimes worry that there is a growing absence of the desire to seek after things that are virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy. Every where I look there are messages that substitute the darkness for the light. I sometimes think that we have been deceived by false role models and persuasive media messages that cause us to forget who we really are, and make it difficult for us to see things as they really are?
I truly believe that to be virtuous requires one to exercise self-discipline and to turn away from the messages of the world of darkness. It is not an easy thing to do. It takes a lot of effort. In my own journey I have sometimes acted in ways that are outside the boundaries of virtuous behavior. In those moments, I have felt the longing desire to be clean again. The longer I have allowed myself to indulge in non-virtuous behavior, that harder it was for me to return to virtue. But being virtuous brings far greater joy to me than the momentary pleasure that comes from non-virtuous behavior. I have learned for myself that it is much better to seek after the light. When I am engaged in virtuous living I am more confident. I feel better about myself and my ability to help others. I feel like I can be my very best.
The most articulated value in the Greek culture is areté. The word is often translated as "virtue" but it actually means something closer to "being the best you can be" or "reaching your highest human potential". That is exactly the state that I am seeking. I want to be my very best at all times and in all places. I want the idea of virtue to be on my mind all the time. I am willing to lay aside some of the things our current society values in order to keep myself virtuous. I wonder if as a society we are ready to return to virtue. Do we value being our very best and reaching our highest human potential as much as we once did?
A Return To Virtue
I know it is not popular to speak of such things. It may not even be politically correct as there are those that may feel that a virtuous life is a standard only obtainable by a few and that is not fair to judge everyone by that standard. I believe that we all can reach for it. I believe that we all can obtain it, but it will take effort. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, "no one ever got muscles by watching me exercise". I like that quote because it means that if you want something, you are going to have to pay the price. A return to virtue brings with it a price. The price is stepping away from the standards of the world and raising the bar. It means that I will not engage in behaviors or activities that will cause me to be less than noble and pure.
How do you see it? Do you believe the "if it feels good do it" message the media and movie stars send us in almost e
very form of communication we receive from them? As I look at them, I don't see happiness; I see a constant struggle to find themselves. Do you think a return to virtue is needed? What can you do today to begin your own return to virtue?
very form of communication we receive from them? As I look at them, I don't see happiness; I see a constant struggle to find themselves. Do you think a return to virtue is needed? What can you do today to begin your own return to virtue?
Think about it and please share with me your thoughts. You can share them with me via email, you can submit a commit to this post, or you can call me and we will chat.
Life is good!
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