Planet Journey The Lonely Trail Of Virtus Covey

He then took on the task of writing a novel. It is available on Amazon now. One of his graphic novel works, Outside Providence Road is now available on Amazon. He invites readers who've purchased the book to contact him with any questions or comments they may have concerning the book at outsideprovidenceroad gmail. Are you an author? Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography.

Learn more at Author Central. All Formats Kindle Edition Sort by: Popularity Popularity Featured Price: Low to High Price: High to Low Avg. Outside Providence Road Dec 06, Available for download now. Provide feedback about this page. He cannot do good work if he is not strong and does not try with his whole heart and soul to count in any contest; and his strength will be a curse to himself and to every one else if he does not have thorough command over himself and over his own evil passions, and if he does not use his strength on the side of decency, justice, and fair dealing.

In short, in life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Who is he That every Man in arms should wish to be? Whose high endeavours are an inward light That makes the path before him always bright: Who, with a natural instinct to discern What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn; Abides by this resolve, and stops not there, But makes his moral being his prime care; Who, doomed to go in company with Pain, And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train! Whose powers shed round him in the common strife, Or mild concerns of ordinary life, A constant influence, a peculiar grace; But who, if he be called upon to face Some awful moment to which heaven has joined Great issues, good or bad for human kind, Is happy as a Lover; and attired With sudden brightness, like a Man inspired; And, through the heat of conflict, keeps the law In calmness made, and sees what he foresaw; Or if an unexpected call succeed, Come when it will, is equal to the need: Whom neither shape of danger can dismay, Nor thought of tender happiness betray; Who, not content that former worth stand fast, Looks forward, persevering to the last, From well to better, daily self-surpast: This is the happy Warrior; this is He Whom every Man in arms should wish to be.

I should not like to be merely a doctor, a great lawyer, a great minister, a great politician. I should like to be, also, something of a man. Almost every man has a strong natural desire of being valued and esteemed by the rest of his species; but I am concerned and grieved to see how few fall into the right and only infallible method of becoming so.

That laudable ambition is too commonly misapplied, and often ill employed. Some, to make themselves considerable, pursue learning; others grasp at wealth; some aim at being thought witty; and others are only careful to make the most of an handsome person: It is true, we love the handsome, we applaud the learned, and we fear the rich and powerful; but we even worship and adore the virtuous.

Nor is it strange; since men of virtue are so rare, so very rare to be found. If we were as industrious to become good, as to make ourselves great, we should become really great by being good, and the number of valuable men be much increased; but it is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness; and I pronounce it as certain, that there never was yet a truly great man, that was not at the same time truly virtuous. We need the positive virtues of resolution, of courage, of indomitable will, of power to do without shrinking the rough work that must always be done.

The chasers of trifles run hither and yon, And the little small days of small things still go on, And the world seems no better at sunset than dawn, And the race still increases its plentiful spawn. And the voice of our wailing is loud. Lo, a call for a man who shall make all things new Goes down through the throng! He rises in view! Make room for the men who shall make all things new! And where is the man who comes up from the throng Who does the new deed and who sings the new song, And makes the old world as a world that is new?

And who is the man? And our praise is exultant and proud. We are waiting for you there—for you are the man! Come up from the jostle as soon as you can; Come up from the crowd there, for you are the man— The man who comes up from the crowd.

Man is never so manly as when he feels deeply, acts boldly, and expresses himself with frankness and with fervor. Manliness is the character of a man as he ought to be, as he was meant to be. It expresses the qualities which go to make a perfect man—truth, courage, conscience, freedom, energy, self-possession, self-control. But it does not exclude gentleness, tenderness, compassion, modesty. A man is not less manly, but more so, because he is gentle. By manly qualities the world is carried forward. The manly spirit shows itself in enterprise, the love of meeting difficulties and overcoming them—the resolution which will not yield, which patiently perseveres, and does not admit the possibility of defeat.

It enjoys hard toil, rejoices in stern labor, is ready to make sacrifices, to suffer and bear disaster patiently. It is generous, giving itself to a good cause not its own; it is public- spirited, devoting itself to the general good with no expectation of reward. It is ready to defend unpopular truth, to stand by those who are wronged, to uphold the weak. Having resolved, it does not go back, but holds on, through good report and evil, sure that the right must win at last.

And so it causes truth to prevail, and keeps up the standard of a noble purpose in the world. Such heroism is like a sunbeam breaking through the tempest. It shows us the real worth there is in man. Firemen rush into a flaming house to save women and children. Sailors take their lives in their hands to rescue their fellow-men from a wreck.

They save them at this great risk, not because they are friends or relatives, but because they are fellow-men. Courage is an element of manliness. It is more than readiness to encounter danger and death, for we are not often called to meet such perils. It is every-day courage which is most needed—that which shrinks from no duty because it is difficult; which makes one ready to say what he believes, when his opinions are unpopular; which does not allow him to postpone a duty, but makes him ready to encounter it at once; a courage which is not afraid of ridicule when one believes himself right; which is not the slave of custom, the fool of fashion.

It does not seek display, it is often the courage of silence no less than speech; it is modest courage, unpretending though resolute. It holds fast to its convictions and principles, whether men hear or whether they forbear. Truthfulness is another element of true manliness. Lies usually come from cowardice, because men are afraid of standing by their flag, because they shrink from opposition, or because they are conscious of something wrong which they cannot defend, and so conceal.

Secret faults, secret purposes, habits of conduct of which we are ashamed, lead to falsehood, and falsehood is cowardice. Therefore if we wish to be manly, we must not do anything of which we are ashamed. He who lives by firm principles of truth and right, who deceives no one, injures no one, who therefore has nothing to hide, he alone is manly. The bad man may be audacious, but he has no true courage. His manliness is only a pretense, an empty shell, a bold demeanor, with no real firmness behind it.

True manliness differs also from the false in its attitude to woman.

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Its knightly feeling makes it wish to defend her rights, to maintain her claims, to be her protector and advocate. False manliness wishes to show its superiority by treating women as inferiors. It flatters them, but it does not respect them. It fears their competition on equal levels, and wishes to keep them confined, not within walls Neither you nor I can tell what that is till all artificial barriers are removed, and you have full opportunity to try.

And this is the real chivalry of the present hour. And you gain it by winning small battles with honor. By Euripides translated by Frank William Jones In a battle outside the gates of Thebes, seven great Argive warriors are killed, but the ruler who takes power in that city, Creon, decrees that their bodies will be left to rot. The mothers of the dead soldiers beg Athens to help them bring back the bodies of their dead sons so that they can be buried.

The King of Athens has mercy on the mothers, attacks Thebes, and retrieves the corpses. The men are given a proper funeral. In this selection from the poem, The Suppliant Women, Adrastus, the King of Argos, eulogizes the deeds and character of five of the dead soldiers. Each man who died was not only a great warrior, but embodied the characteristics of true manliness. By granting me the privilege Of praising friends, you meet my own desire To speak of them with justice and with truth. I saw the deeds—bolder than words can tell— By which they hoped to take the city.

The handsome one is Capaneus. Through him The lightning went. He avoided People who live beyond their needs and load Their tables to excess. He used to say That good does not consist in belly-food, And satisfaction comes from moderation. He was true in friendship to present and absent friends; Not many men are so. His character Was never false; his ways were courteous; His word, in house or city, was his bond.

Second I name Eteoclus. He practiced Another kind of virtue. Lacking means, This youth held many offices in Argos. Often his friends would make him gifts of gold, But he never took them into his house. He wanted No slavish way of life, haltered by money. He kept his hate for sinners, not the city; A town is not to blame if a bad pilot Makes men speak ill of it.

Hippomedon, third of the heroes, showed his nature thus: While yet a boy he had the strength of will Not to take up the pleasures of the Muses That soften life; he went to live in the country, Giving himself hard tasks to do, rejoicing In manly growth. He hunted, delighted in horses, And stretched the bow with his hands, to make his body Useful to the city. There lies the son Of huntress Atalanta, Parthenopaeus, Supreme in beauty.

After his upbringing there, he showed himself, As resident foreigners should, not troublesome Or spiteful to the city, or disputatious, Which would have made him hard to tolerate As citizen and guest. Although he had many lovers, And women flocked to him, still he was careful To cause them no offense. In praise of Tydeus I shall say much in little.

He was ambitious, Greatly gifted, and wise in deeds, not words. From what I have told you, Theseus, you should not wonder That these men dared to die before the towers. To be well brought up develops self-respect: Anyone who has practiced what is good Is ashamed to turn out badly. Even a child is taught To say and hear what he does not understand; Things understood are kept in mind till age. So, in like manner, train your children well. If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, establishes perhaps the best working definition of this virtue.

Courage, according to Aristotle, is the mean between fear and recklessness. The courageous man, however, strikes a balance between irrational fear and foolhardy recklessness. He fears that which should be feared but remains steadfast for the right reason. That right reason, according to Aristotle, is for the sake of honor and nobility. In short, courage consists of acknowledging rational fears but acting nobly despite these fears in order to maintain manly honor. A man can display courage in different ways.

Physical courage is the type of courage that often first comes to mind when we think about this virtue. Tales of brave soldiers charging up a hill amid whizzing bullets consume our boyish imaginations. We all hope that when called upon in a crisis, we too would be willing to risk our physical safety to save the lives of others. A man can also display intellectual courage. History is filled with great figures—men like Socrates, Descartes, Bacon, and Darwin—who faced persecution for their ideas, yet endured social sanction with manly courage.

Because of their courage to think differently and stand up for their ideas, society advanced and improved. Finally, a man can show moral courage. Courage is needed not only in extreme acts of heroism but in the decision to uphold our more mundane commitments and promises. Courage grants us the strength not only to withstand danger but to approach life as a pioneer and adventurer, embracing risk and plunging ever forward into the unknown.

It is a quality that we admire by instinct. We need no teacher to tell us that it is a fine thing to be brave. The lack of courage is universally recognized as a grave defect in character. If in our own hearts we feel the want of it, if we cannot find enough of it to enable us to face the dangers and meet the responsibilities and fight the battles of life, we are not only sorry, but secretly ashamed. The absence of courage is a fault that few are willing to confess.

We naturally conceal it, and cover it up, and try to keep it secret even from ourselves. We invent favourable names for it, which are only unconscious excuses. We call it prudence, or respectability, or conservatism, or economy, or worldly wisdom, or the instinct of self-preservation. For in truth there is nothing that we are more reluctant to admit than cowardice; and there is no virtue which we would more gladly possess and prove than courage.

In the first place, it is an honourable virtue. Men have always loved and praised it. It lends a glory and a splendour to the life in which it dwells—lifts it up and ennobles it, and crowns it with light. The world delights in heroism, even in its rudest forms and lowest manifestations. Among the animals we create a sort of aristocracy on the basis of courage, and recognize, in the fearlessness of the game beasts and birds and fishes, a claim to rank above the timorous, furtive, spiritless members of creation.

And in man bravery is always fine. We salute it in our enemies. A daring foe is respected, and though we must fight against him we can still honour his courage, and almost forget the conflict in our admiration for his noble bearing. That is what Dr. But he who stands up boldly against his antagonist in any conflict, physical, social, or spiritual, and deals fair blows, and uses honest arguments, and faces the issues of warfare, is a man to love even across the chasm of strife A brave, frank, manly foe is infinitely better than a false, weak, timorous friend.

In the second place, courage is a serviceable virtue. There is hardly any place in which it is not useful. There is no type of character, no sphere of action, in which there is not room and need for it. Genius is talent set on fire by courage. Fidelity is simply daring to be true in small things as well as great. As many as are the conflicts and perils and hardships of life, so many are the uses and the forms of courage. It is necessary, indeed, as the protector and defender of all the other virtues.

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Courage is the standing army of the soul which keeps it from conquest, pillage, and slavery. Unless we are brave we can hardly be truthful, or generous, or just, or pure, or kind, or loyal. Courage is essential to guard the best qualities of the soul, and to clear the way for their action, and make them move with freedom and vigour. If we desire to be good, we must first of all desire to be brave, that against all opposition, scorn, and danger we may move straight onward to do the right.

In the third place, courage is a comfortable virtue. It fills the soul with inward peace and strength; in fact this is just what it is—courage is simply strength of heart. Subjection to fear is weakness, bondage, feverish unrest. To be afraid is to have no soul that we can call our own; it is to be at the beck and call of alien powers, to be chained and driven and tormented; it is to lose the life itself in the anxious care to keep it.

Many people are so afraid to die that they have never begun to live. But courage emancipates us and gives us to ourselves, that we may give ourselves freely and without fear to God. How sweet and clear and steady is the life into which this virtue enters day by day, not merely in those great flashes of excitement which come in the moments of crisis, but in the presence of the hourly perils, the continual conflicts.

Not to tremble at the shadows which surround us, not to shrink from the foes who threaten us, not to hesitate and falter and stand despairing still among the perplexities and trials of our life, but to move steadily onward without fear, if only we can keep ourselves without reproach—surely that is what the Psalmist meant by good courage and strength of heart, and it is a most comfortable, pleasant, peaceful, and happy virtue. There is a sharp distinction between courage and recklessness. The reckless man is ignorant; he rushes into danger without hesitation, simply because he does not know what danger means.

The brave man is intelligent; he faces danger because he understands it and is prepared to meet it. The drunkard who runs, in the delirium of intoxication, into a burning house is not brave; he is only stupid. But the clear-eyed hero who makes his way, with every sense alert and every nerve strung, into the hell of flames to rescue some little child, proves his courage.

Courage does not consist in the absence of fear, but in the conquest of it. Timidity is no more inconsistent with courage than doubt is inconsistent with faith. For as faith is simply the overriding and subjugating of doubt by believing where you cannot prove, so courage is simply the conquest and suppression of fear by going straight on in the path of duty and love.

There is one more distinction that needs to be drawn—the distinction between courage and daring. This distinction is not in kind, but in degree. For daring is only a rare and exceptional kind of courage. It is for great occasions; the battle, the shipwreck, the conflagration. It includes the possibility of daring, if it be called for; but from hour to hour, in the long, steady run of life, courage manifests itself in quieter, humbler forms—in patience under little trials, in perseverance in distasteful labours, in endurance of suffering, in resistance of continual and familiar temptations, in hope and cheerfulness and activity and fidelity and truthfulness and kindness, and such sweet, homely virtues as may find a place in the narrowest and most uneventful life.

There is no duty so small, no trial so slight, that it does not afford room for courage. It has a meaning and value for every phase of existence; for the workshop and for the battlefield, for the thronged city and for the lonely desert, for the sick-room and for the market-place, for the study and for the counting-house, for the church and for the drawing-room. In truth it pictures not my destination But my life. For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment; Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid; Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.

Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life. And now I know that we must lift the sail And catch the winds of destiny Wherever they drive the boat. By Aristotle The same evils which terrify one person are not formidable to another; though there are some of such an irresistible nature, as to shake the firmest minds, and to inspire fear into all possessed of understanding.

But those objects of terror which surpass not the strength of human nature, differing from each other in magnitude, as well as do the grounds of confidence, courage will discriminate between real and apparent dangers; and make us meet the former, as brave men ought, unshaken and dauntless, subjecting the instinctive emotions of fear to the dictates of reason and of honor. For we betray our weakness, not only when we fear things really not formidable, but when we are affected in an undue degree, or at an improper time, by objects of real danger. A brave man avoids such errors; and, estimating things by their real worth, prefers the grace and beauty of habitual fortitude to the delusive security of deformed cowardice.

Yet he is not less careful to avoid that excess of intrepidity, which, being rarely met with, is like many other vices, without a name; though nothing but madness, or a most stupid insensibility, can make any man preserve, amidst earthquakes and inundations, that unshaken composure, which has been ascribed to the Celts.

An overweening estimate of the causes of confidence, and a consequent excess of courage, is called audacity; a boastful species of bravery, and the mere ape of true manhood. What the brave man is, the rash and audacious man wishes to appear; he courts and provokes unnecessary dangers, but fails in the hour of trial; and is, for the most part, a blustering bully, who, under a semblance of pretended courage, conceals no inconsiderable portion of cowardice.

But the complete and genuine coward easily betrays himself, by fearing either things not formidable, or things formidable, in an undue degree; and his failing is the more manifest, because it is accompanied with plain indications of pain; he lives in continual alarm, and is therefore spiritless and dejected; whereas courage warms our breasts, and animates our hopes. Such then is the character of true courage, as opposed to audacity on one hand, and cowardice on the other. It holds the middle place between those vicious extremes; it is calm and sedate; and though it never provokes danger, is always ready to meet even death in an honourable cause.

But to die, rather than endure manfully the pressure of poverty, or the stings of love, or any other cruel suffering, is the part of a coward; who basely flies from an enemy that he has not spirit to encounter; and ignominiously quits the field, where he might have sustained a strenuous and honourable conflict.

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June 6, By General Dwight D. Eisenhower, gave the ,member expeditionary force before the landing at Normandy during World War II. On June 5, , the day before the invasion, he went to bid farewell to the Allied paratroopers preparing to take flight towards France. Aware that the casualty rate for these men had been predicted to reach as high as 75 percent, he saluted the planes as they tore into the sky, tears filling his eyes.

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty- loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year ! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man- to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.

The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. But these modern cowards are all crustaceans; their hardness is all on the cover and their softness is inside.

Mosher All men of principle and of steadfastness approve the man who has the courage of his convictions. Such a man necessarily makes enemies; but even an enemy entertains a wholesome respect for the man who honestly differs from him and is not afraid to advocate and defend his views upon all proper occasions. The men of courage, the men of positive ideas, are the men who make history. Without them there would be no progress. The world would retrograde. Civilization would turn backward. The glorious achievements of the past would be wasted, and the future would hold no promise.

It is easier to drift with the current than to oppose it. Those who go counter to accepted ideas often impose upon themselves a thankless and unpleasant task. They incur the reproaches of unjust critics, the contumely of enemies, and too often the ill will of those who are, or should be, their friends. But these things have little weight with the man who is actuated by deep and abiding convictions.

He will do his duty as he sees it at all hazards, and in spite of opposition or adverse criticism, leaving to the future the vindication of his action. Due to a miscommunication, a small band of around six hundred cavalrymen rode into a valley surrounded by twenty Russian battalions armed with heavy artillery.

Half a league half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! It is a cold choice between two alternatives, the fixed resolve not to quit; an act of renunciation which must be made not once but many times by the power of the will.

A classified ad said to have been placed in a London newspaper by Ernest Shackleton, explorer of the Antarctic, before his Nimrod expedition in In the spring of , Martin Luther King Jr. Using non-violent, direct action tactics such as marches and sit-ins, activists sought to bring national attention to the discrimination in what was then considered the most segregated city in America.

When eight white Alabama clergymen issued a statement which criticized the Birmingham campaign for stirring up unrest and called for a more patient, slower approach to gaining civil rights, King penned this open letter, passionately defending his methods, explaining the need to move forward, and arguing that breaking unjust laws constituted an act of great moral courage.

But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. You may well ask: Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.

It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

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The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue. One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely.

My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals. We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet-like speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. One may well ask: I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws.

One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God.

An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.

All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.

In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.

Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. So I have not said to my people: And now this approach is being termed extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. They will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer.

They will be old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy two year old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

It is the state of the soul at war, and its ultimate objects are the last defiance of falsehood and wrong, and the power to bear all that can be inflicted by evil agents. It speaks the truth, and it is just, generous, hospitable, temperate, scornful of petty calculations, and scornful of being scorned. It persists; it is of an undaunted boldness, and of a fortitude not to be wearied out. Its jest is the littleness of common life. That false prudence which dotes on health and wealth is the butt and merriment of heroism. Heroism, like Plotinus, is almost ashamed of its body. What joys has kind nature provided for us dear creatures!

There seems to be no interval between greatness and meanness. You will have to find a way through it yourself. And you need to stop spending so much time with the angels. He didn't look the part at all. He had a brush cut, and even wore bow ties. As it turned out, his words were prophetic. My capacity to meditation faded out completely as my mind fog deepened. I felt quite bereft until one morning when I was on my knees, asking God if I should prepare to just give up. I was so breathless and weak, I could barely walk, and wondered if I would survive. I called out, "Help me, God. I don't know what to do!

Suddenly a clear, strong inner voice said, "I will give you 10 Rules for health. Write them down and follow them. Yet, here was an amazing example of what God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah: I pulled myself up off my knees into my prayer chair, grabbed my prayer journal and starting writing fast, as if taking dictation. Having lived on Aitutaki in the South Pacific Cook Islands for four years now, I've found that people here in Paradise need these steps for health as much as anyone. Islanders often overdo to the point of stress.

There is chronic guilt for many of us about "not getting it all done," which is terribly pressuring. Some islanders enjoy a healthy balance in their lives, while others struggle to get through the days and weeks. I later went to a Post-Polio specialist who was astonished by my recovery. He said it was miraculous and asked me how I did it. I showed him the Ten Rules, and he said, "This is the best recovery programme I've ever seen. Where did you find it? He now has A Pace of Grace on his shelf to share with other patients. To prepare for a transformational program such as A Pace of Grace, take time to ask yourself, what stresses you and what blesses you.

Here are some questions to reflect on and perhaps to share with someone you trust:. This is the first blog in a series on the Pace of Grace lifestyle, sharing 10 steps to health, which help to restore body and soul. He restoreth my soul. I have a friend, a Cook Islander who, after years overseas, has returned to live his final years in the place he loves best.

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He runs a small shop. Whenever I appear outside his shop, he beckons me to a chair. I always listen, because he has an uncanny way of touching on something I am holding in prayer at the time. The morning of our latest visit, I was reflecting on the question, how to balance self-love with the virtue of selflessness. Selflessness is putting others before ourselves.

When is it a sign of strength and spiritual health, and when is it a sign of weakness? It is weakness if it is motivated by fear — fear of losing someone's love, fear of someone's disapproval or anger. Fear breeds a sense of shame, or worthlessness — the "disease to please". When motivated by love and generosity, selflessness is a sign of spiritual maturity.

It is a state of being in which the only one we seek to please is our Creator. We are happy to be ourselves, and our self-esteem is strong. Therefore, we can afford to give to others. We aren't running on empty, like a car out of gas. We are full to overflowing, and that benefits everyone around us. During this visit, before I even said a word, my friend gave me the answer to my prayer. He began by saying, "Appreciation is very important.

We have food on the table and a roof over our heads. People think too much about themselves. They need to think of others more. Those who accumulate more and more things will never be satisfied. It's the simple things in life that bring happiness. The current dominant culture supports self-aggrandizement, wealth, fame and celebrity to the point of "idolatry", a sense of entitlement, and an obsession with self. At a time when ego is king, are people happier? Happiness seems more elusive now than ever, and people who are struggling financially, or find themselves low on the social status totem pole feel both ashamed and deprived.

Shoghi Effendi, a central figure in the Baha'i Faith, wrote to an individual: This is one of the great spiritual laws of life. He grows lemons, bananas and pineapples, and runs his tiny shop. I often hear him laughing with delight. He is a treasured deacon in his church.

He has good friends, loves his wife and family, and loves this island home. He is happy and content. Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel wrote, "Happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have. One of the happiest people on earth, in my opinion, is His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, leader of Tibetan Buddhism, who said, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion. Yet, I have come to believe that self-care is the anchor for selfless service. Being selfless in the spiritual sense does not mean failing to love ourselves. We maintain our health by taking care of our bodies. We live fully in the moment, treasuring what is right before our eyes.

We are thankful for the blessings, virtues and talents God has bestowed on us. We have no need to crave possessions, because we trust that all we need is being provided and we take responsibility to be good stewards of our time, our money, and our energy. When we have plenty of love filling our own cups, love overflows naturally to others. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.

For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. On the morning of my recent birthday, a young woman came to my door, bearing an exquisite gift — a crocheted cloth of white thread with intricate designs that her grandmother had spent several months to create for me. I was stunned by this gift of time and love. It was the first surprise I received that day. Later, my neighbour brought me some parrot fish he had caught. That night I celebrated with some of our many friends here on Aitutaki.

Frankly, I wasn't expecting gifts, but found that that is something people here traditionally bring. I had awakened the night before with the thought of something I wanted to tell them at the party: Speaking of gifts, we now have three "adopted" island grandchildren. Two cousins of our six year old granddaughter have moved here, and we have all connected as if we have known each other for years. One evening at sunset, as I walked the beach with the three children while Papa Dan took sunset photos, the eleven year old asked me if I had "other" children. I told him about my two sons and three grandchildren who live in other countries.

He looked sad when I told him, we hardly ever see them. This is why I decided to write about the importance of birthdays — we all need to be celebrated sometimes. One of the outstanding virtues of Cook Islanders is their love and enthusiasm for celebration. We have attended some 21 st birthday events, where a special large carving called "a key" is presented, with symbols of great meaning to the young recipient, and massive buffets are laid out. Even if a family does not have the money to be lavish, it is so important to honor the ones we love and to celebrate them in some way on their birthdays.

Seeing the sparkle in our grandson's eyes as we celebrated with him reminded me of the party we gave my husband's mother in the United States on her 90 th birthday this past year. Friends and family drove many miles to celebrate her life. She was deeply touched by their loyalty, including a group of men in their sixties and seventies who had driven a long distance.

They had been high school buddies of Jim, one of her sons Dan's younger brother who passed away a few years ago. And they told her they wouldn't think of missing this chance to honour her. Although she had just come out of hospital, thankfully she was able to sit up, wearing a new outfit, looking like a queen, as she received hugs, kisses, and gifts. She still talks about it as the best party she ever had, being one of those children whose birthday was never celebrated when she was young.

Mother Theresa said, "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. One of the ways to express love is to tell them the virtues you see in them. Our new grandson is loving, helpful, perceptive and understanding, and most of the time, he is kind.

Hearing about his virtues helps him to know who he is. Letting your loved ones know the difference they make in your life is a priceless gift. Children are blessings placed in our arms for protection and love. From birth, they have sensitive emotional radar, and are very aware of what is going on around them. They know when they are loved, and it gives them the foundation of self-esteem and confidence.

It tells them "I matter to someone. This is among the reasons why we have one of the highest teen suicide rates in the world. It is not always linked to parental neglect, but that is often a factor. The love children need so much also involves high expectations of them to grow spiritually — to grow their virtues. Children are happy and emotionally healthy when showing excellence in learning or sports, creativity in music, dance or art, helpfulness in household chores, kindness to others and generosity in sharing.

Children rise up or down to our expectations.

If we consider them useless and tell them so, that is how they feel and act. If we fill a house with violence and words like lazy, stupid, mean, and naughty, we are trampling their fragile sense of self. If we use words like "Be helpful", "That was kind. A good shepherd doesn't whack the sheep with his rod, he gently brings them back into the fold. At the other extreme, if we spoil them, do too much for them, and have no boundaries, we are doing them no favors.

They grow up with a sense of entitlement, and have a rude awakening when the world doesn't treat them like a prince or princess. Such children often come home from school in tears. Here in the Cook Islands, many children are adopted or raised by grandparents. As one who served in my earlier years as an adoption social worker, I discovered a special need that these children have.

They need to know the truth. At a very young age, they need to be told that they are adopted. If kept from them for fear of hurting them, they often find out through taunts in the school yard. It makes adoption seem like a deep, dark secret — something to be ashamed of. Without a positive story to hold onto early in life, children often believe that they were rejected, kicked out and unwanted. I have a number of friends who tell me of the deep hurt they experienced when learning that their "real" parents "gave them away". What is a common and loving practice can be a gift to the child rather than a lifelong sorrow to carry.

I always encouraged new adoptive parents to use the word adoption in a positive way. A story entitled "The Chosen Child" was a popular book to be read to the child, telling them how much they wanted a child and how blessed they are to have chosen this particular child to be in their family. It explained that their birth mother loved them so much she gave them to a family who could take better care of them. If you have an adopted child, tell them a story as soon as they can understand stories, about how you wanted them and chose them to love and care for all their lives.

Above all, use your words to praise and encourage children when you catch them committing a virtue. It can change the attitude of even the most challenging child. The Baha'i Writings say, "Know ye the value of these children, for they are all my children.

When they know the truth, they are free to be fully and completely themselves. A First Nations Tlingit elder told me, "Life is for learning our lessons. Virtues are the lessons. I became violently ill one night, and my husband called a doctor to see me at home. She immediately sent me to hospital with quite a serious diagnosis. The timing was interesting for this to happen, since I had tickets to fly to New Zealand in less than a week, to speak at several Virtues Project conferences and have a book launch for my novel, A Scent of Sage. Although it was a Sunday, I found Aitutaki hospital buzzing with activity.

The hospital staff were helpful, loving, and professional, and watched over me all through the night. The doctor was relentless in sorting medications with the best possibilities for healing. He even encouraged me to test for an old allergy to penicillin instead of just accepting that the allergy was still active, which many doctors would do. Sure enough, the test showed I was no longer allergic and it meant he could treat my symptoms much more powerfully and broadly. The cook talked to me each day, noticing I was unable to eat more than a bite or two, to find out what would taste good.

Physically I was in a nightmare of discomfort and weakness, but spiritually, this situation offered subtle yet deep learning. Truthfully speaking, at one point I felt myself moving into the valley of the shadow of death. I noticed that I had no fear, no demands of God to heal me, but rather a peaceful surrender to whatever was to come. My brother John would have called this "Vitamin T" or Trust. Some of my friends prayed over me and assured me that not only would I be healed quickly, but I would also be able to get on that flight to New Zealand later that week. That was not to be.

One of them is a mama who has a painful leg. As she was struggling to get down into the chair, I asked her, "Mama, do you have a stick? I just ask Jesus to walk with me. Then she reassured me that God would make it all come out right and definitely get me to New Zealand. So, I quoted two passages in the Bible that I find very meaningful during the tests and trials of life. For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. How else do we grow as spiritual beings but through the hard times? The second thing I said to her was a quote from Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as he awaited his death: However, not my will but your will must be done.

Petition, or asking for what we want is only one kind of prayer, one facet of our relationship with the Divine. Perhaps without severe tests we would never know the sweetness of pure, yielding surrender — utter submission to the will of God. The Baha'i Faith teaches that suffering is often a gift for our development. As I experienced these virtues in my heart and soul, I noticed the dark shadow receding.

Sufi poet Jalal'u'din Rumi wrote "If God said, 'Rumi, pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms', there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, not any act I would not bow to. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes As an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. The party's over; the gifts are all unwrapped; visiting family have returned home; those rare days off are already a fading memory, and it's time to get back to normal.

How do we beat those post-holiday blues? After any big change, whether the end of a holiday, or time away from work or school, we need a strategy for re-entry, for getting back to regular life with as much grace as possible.

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A friend and I were out for a girlfriend breakfast at a lovely resort on our island the other day when she shared her New Year's resolution. When I asked her how she planned to accomplish it, she brought up two ideas she had been thinking about. First, she plans to delegate some of the work in her business that she knows others can accomplish, freeing her up to do more creative things — things she is really good at, that give her joy.

Secondly she spoke about self-care by enjoying more of the wonders of life here in Paradise — spending more time fishing, boating, swimming, being. Being happy is a choice. Reading the scripture, "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it," Psalm Virtue doesn't come to us by chance. It grows like a muscle does, becoming stronger the more we use it. Joy creates spiritual efficiency. The Baha'i Writings say, "Joy gives us wings! In times of joy, our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded. We seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of influence.

One of my very favorite lines is by poet Mary Oliver: We are accountable for our own joy. To find more joy in our work, whether at home or in business, bring love to work. Love each task, with gratitude that you have the strength or creativity, or talent to do it. There is a 4 D formula, 4 ways to work smarter:. And here is a 5th D — "Daycations". Take an entire day to play tourist in your own community. Choose anything that gives you pleasure.

A long sleep-in, a day in bed with a good book, a meal out, a day at the beach, a hike. Sometimes we habituate so much to the the rut of working that we forget to step into the world of wonders just outside our door. A new year has just begun. This is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year, consider what we've learned and then make a fresh start, with hope for the future. The Five Strategies of The Virtues Project offer a template for reflection, helping us bring the virtues to life. Baha'u'llah said, "A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men.

Your thoughts are real.

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Fill them with virtues. As the Greek philosopher Socrates said, before his death, "The unexamined life is not worth living. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see it and appreciate it. Remember that you are an independent soul, not part of another's soul. You were created to think and act for yourself, to stand on your own holy ground. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Learn to meditate in order to "hear" the answering voice of God more clearly.

What changes will help you feel more fully alive? Is there an addiction you need to sacrifice in order to be free for a more joyful life? What is your deepest "Yes" at this time in your life? Christian Minister Frederick Beuchner said, "Our calling is where our deepest gladness and the world's hunger meet. World statesman Dag Hammarskjold said, "For what has been, thanks. For what shall be, Yes! The four months between early November and late February comprise a holy season for people of many faiths and beliefs around the world.

In this period, there are 30 different holy days celebrated by eight major religions. Charity and gift-giving are often part of these celebrations. Christianity is the norm today in the Cook Islands and, like most of the Pacific, the church fills a very central place in the culture. This will be our fourth Christmas in the Cook Islands, and we are enjoying the celebratory spirit that exceeds anything we have witnessed elsewhere.

Every night we hear choirs and drummers rehearsing choral music and action songs. Costumes are being made for all ages, and gifts are being hidden away. Mamas are displaying their bright, beautiful Tivaivai embroidered pillows and bed spreads, something I aspire to do in the future. Above all, Christmas is a special time for children. December is the end of the school term for the year here, and some have received prizes for academic and virtues excellence. Sweets are tossed from parade floats, and on Christmas morning, most children have gifts to open. Charitable groups and individuals do their best to see that all children receive presents.

There are two special gifts that we sometimes fail to give our children at this season, but may be of greater value than any other present we give them — Faith and Generosity. Sometimes the original Christmas story is neglected in the midst of all our busy activities. If you are a Christian, take the time to tell your children and grandchildren the story of how the three wise men followed a star and found the baby Jesus in a manger, and what His birth meant to the world. I recently asked some students here to name the main teaching that Jesus Christ brought, and they had no idea.

Jesus walked a path of love. His sacrifice came from a heart of love for all humanity. He taught that love, compassion, peace and forgiveness are important virtues — the fruits of the spirit. Our kids need the gift of this knowledge. Secondly, support your children to practice generosity — to be givers, not just receivers. Encourage them to make a gift or a card for a friend or family member, to think of someone to invite to share the holiday feast.

We didn't have much ourselves, so I decided to give the other family half of our food. He thought for a moment, then shouted, with great enthusiasm, "They can have half my buh too! I was honestly surprised that a child that young could be generous. He taught me a great lesson that day. When he was four years old, a documentary about hungry children in Africa came on television. I started to turn it off, but he said, "No, Mommy, I want to see. He saved his little allowance in a blue velvet bag from a gift bottle of perfume.

He constantly searched for coins under couch cushions and asked his uncles for money when they visited — he liked pennies rather than dimes because they were "more". He wouldn't even spend his stash for ice cream. After the show, he asked me, "Mommy, can I send some money to feed those kids? He left the room and came back with his bag of money. The conference was called "Seeds of Compassion", and focused on how to teach children to be compassionate.

The seeds of virtues are already within our children, and a true gift at any season, especially at Christmas, is to nurture their Faith and Generosity. When a small shoot of virtue first appears in a child, help them to grow it. Encourage them to realize it is one of the greatest gifts they have been given and are able to then share with the world.

Dan and I just visited his mother, who just had her 90 th birthday party. It was a miracle we could get her from her apartment to her daughter's home which was full of party balloons, a birthday banner and a huge feast for family and friends who had traveled to honour her. She had just spent five days in hospital for an emergency admission and was extremely weak. Dan, his sister and I, were exhausted caregivers, but we rallied.

She sat like a queen, supported on pillows on her chair, as everyone hugged and showered her with love and gifts, which she greatly appreciated. Having spent many hours lifting, dressing, and tending her as her strength gradually returned enough to walk pushing her walker, everything I've learned about caregiving has come back to me. First and foremost, to this point she has been able to live alone, with several visits or outings a week with her daughter.

Her greatest desire is to remain independent and not "shipped off" to a nursing home. This gives me great appreciation for Paki Paki Tai and Te Vaerua, providing services here in the Cook Islands, which, believe it or not, are quite complicated to obtain in an American city, where every helpful resource is dependent on the complexities of one's insurance coverage.

America is possibly the only civilized country which does not have socialized medicine, covering all citizens regardless of income. Caring for mamas and papas at home is a strong value in Polynesian culture. Here are some thoughts for caregivers on important ways to support their elders, those who are ill, and also themselves. Mum is back in hospital but, once again feeling better, is champing at the bit to get home again. As always, her daughter is listening respectfully to Mum's choices, and this time assured that there will be nurses visiting. When you serve your elders, you are serving God.

Recently, I decided to make a tiny promise to myself about fitness — a promise so small I knew I could easily keep it — to do 10 tummy tightener exercises before I get out of bed in the morning. They're like lazy sit-ups. I just lie there and clench my stomach muscles. After a week, I'm noticing a change in my core strength and a flatter stomach. A friend of mine got the fitness bug and rushed off to the gym for three hours. That became so exhausting, she stopped going altogether. Moderation is far more effective, because it is sustainable.

What does work is reflected in a Japanese philosophy called Kai Zen, meaning "good change" or "continuous improvement". It teaches that big changes in a life, a family, or a business are best made with small steps, so tiny you may not even notice them at first. For example, doing dishes after each snack or meal rather than letting them pile up — another one of my promises to myself. It's the regularity of a small manageable change that allows it to become part of your lifestyle. What habit do you wish for?

Is it walking every day? Try walking for just 5 minutes for a while. This is a way to keep from overdoing or over-tiring yourself. So many of us make resolutions about weight loss, but teeter between famine or feast. We starve ourselves and then, when we can't stand it anymore, gorge again on favorite foods. I heard a local man struggling with obesity and diabetes confess that he is a failure when it comes to losing weight. I go along not eating much for a few days, then I give in.

I like food too much. What would work better is to improve his diet one meal at a time, one day at a time. To eat what he likes, but cut his portion a little. Then a little more. To begin introducing one or two healthy snacks a day, such as fruit and a few almonds, or a piece of fish for protein. Small amounts more often, such as every three hours, stabilize blood sugar. Little by little, add more greens, more vegies, especially ones that taste good to you. They actually reduce fat.

Drink one more glass of water a day until you're up to 6 glasses or more. Drastic change is too hard on both body and soul. We simply can't keep it up. Small changes come quietly, giving us the self-confidence to do more. This isn't meant to be a wrestling match between your conscience and your stomach. It's a love offering, a gentle shift in your spirit. If you have a relationship that needs a tune-up, choose one small thing a day to do differently, something that shows you love and value the other person.

Look into his eyes for a few seconds, smile and tell him something you appreciate about him. Write her a love note and leave it on her pillow. Think of something considerate to do for each other, not for praise or so they will notice, but just as a way to express your love. The Baha'i Writings say " Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. In my last blog I wrote about being a compassionate presence to someone considering suicide — being a light in their darkness, by listening, showing understanding, and assisting them to get help. We all experience sadness, confusion, grief or anger.

Having a safe person to talk it through with is vital if we are to protect ourselves from the dangers of feeling alone. Loneliness and the failure of hope can be life-threatening. From my current vantage point as an elder, I can see and taste how swiftly this brief span of life flows by. Seeking to thrive and not merely survive is a goal worthy of great effort for each of us. Here are some thoughts about how to make the spiritual shift to experiencing the richness of life, even in the face of pain.

First, I believe that everyone needs a circle of friends or family we can count on and turn to. If you don't have someone like that, find someone like that. There are caring people everywhere. Author Alice Walker says, "I don't need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends I can be certain of. In seeking to thrive, it is also profoundly helpful to adopt the Virtues Project strategy of "Recognizing the Teachable Moment".

It is a mindset of sacred curiosity, especially in the midst of life's challenges. Guilt and self-blame are terrible time waster, useless miseries. Rigorous self-examination and robust accountability are far more creative responses to suffering. A life well lived involves continually seeking to make tomorrow better than today, to embrace the lessons and reach for the virtues to be gained.

Light and shadow are both important parts of life. I used to wonder about what it would be like to experience the invitation in the Baha'i Teachings to "be thankful in adversity. Tests and difficulties help us to grow our determination, compassion, strength, and empathy for others going through the same thing. They stretch our souls. The times we learn or grow most are not the "good" times, but the testing times. Once we get through the rapids, there is exhilaration as we glide into calmer waters. For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom…" Wisdom is the pure gold of life. If we resist and resent our tests, seeing ourselves as victims, the sacred opportunity to gain the treasure of the Teachable Moment eludes us. Besides, according to psychiatrist Carl Jung, "what you resist will persist. Might as well go for it the first time, or more honestly speaking, maybe the fifth time it comes around? Personally, I don't want to miss anything in this short life! Life is school and then, with God's grace, we graduate. Catholic theologian Theillard de Chardin says, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.