Before we start planning for friends, here’s a quick recap. The virtue of friendship relates to the development of excellence in relationships, and this combines aspects of household, relationships and spirit as a result of the values rethink. We’ve done some analysis and found that a friendship is a mutually beneficial relationship that has developed over […]
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Planning for the Virtue of Friendship: #1 Creatures
Before we get to planning for creatures, here’s a quick recap. The virtue of friendship relates to the development of excellence in relationships, and this combines aspects of household, relationships and spirit as a result of the values rethink. Last time I suggested that friendship is a mutually beneficial, trusting relationship that develops over a period of […]
Planning for the Virtue of Friendship
I know I promised I’d get into planning for friendship with creatures in this post, but as I got going I realised I had to talk about what friendship is before I could talk about how that relates to things that are not people (as shown in the revised virtues table shown below.) Friendship I […]
Planning for the Virtue of Beauty: #4 Garden
Before I get into planning for garden, here’s the story so far. We’re overcoming our heritage and living in the light and loveliness and magnificent splendour of the pursuit of excellence. We’re calling it Project Worthwhile Life, and starting with a 12-month program to develop virtues. In this instance, the virtue of beauty: the pursuit of excellence in aesthetics, and we’re working […]
Planning for the Virtue of Beauty: #3 Home
Before we get to planning for home, we’ll recap. We’ve agreed to overcome our heritage and live in the light and loveliness and magnificent splendour of the pursuit of excellence. We’re calling it Project Worthwhile Life, and starting with a 12-month programme to develop some virtues. In this instance, the virtue of beauty: the pursuit of excellence in aesthetics, and we’ll be […]
Planning for the Virtue of Beauty: #2 Presence
Before we get to planning for presence, let’s do a quick recap. We’ve agreed to overcome our heritage and live in the light and loveliness and magnificent splendour of the pursuit of excellence. We’re calling it Project Worthwhile Life, and starting with a 12-month programme to develop some virtues. In this instance, the virtue of beauty: the pursuit of excellence in aesthetics, […]
Planning for the Virtue of Beauty: #1 Body
I don’t know about you, but I grew up in one of those households that believed that life consisted of unrelenting and unrewarded struggle. I can’t say I remember any heavenly rewards for this toil either, but if there is no reward for that effort why would you do it? I do not want to […]
Project Worthwhile Life: Revised Framework
This is quite a long and involved post describing the transition from values to virtues, and demonstrating the revised framework. I think it’s important because I intend to purposefully shape my life around the results of these reflections over the next year. I’ll be experimenting on decision making by virtue; from purchasing to organising my life to event planning […]
Project Worthwhile Life: Introduction
Just to refresh where we’re at. I’m trying to determine what makes a life worthwhile, and for me, this takes place in an ideal universe. And this ideal universe is organised by values, and the things I choose to value (right now) are shown below. flourishing Given the circumstances, mere wellness is insufficient – I flourish. I take care of […]
Spiders in the Bathtub
A little off topic, but I had to share this. I recently watched BBC4’s Spider House documentary [1], and it was absolutely fascinating! While it’s about English spiders in English homes it’s probably relevant for everywhere in some way or another. Though I have to say that I did find Dr Tim Cockerill’s enthusiasm for the creatures […]
Values Conclusion
I started with the view that I was wasting the opportunity given to me by my kidney transplant. That as my good fortune came about through the death of another person, I should be living a life that was worthy of that sacrifice. And this brought me to the question of what a worthwhile life […]
Value #6: the Perception of Prosperity
So I’ve explained that my primary value is the state of flourishing, assisted by a happy household, reassuring relationships, pleasant pastimes and a steadfast spirit. Which brings me to my last value – the perception of prosperity. While it may seem odd for it to be my least (but still) valuable thing, it is a subjective thing; each of […]
Value #5: a Steadfast Spirit
So far, I have determined that my primary value is the state of flourishing, and this is assisted by a happy household, reassuring relationships and pleasant pastimes. Next on the list is a steadfast spirit. If I had grown up in a firmly religious home I might have called this soul, but despite Descartes [1] […]
Value #4: Pleasant Pastimes
At this point, I have decided that flourishing is to be desired, sustained by a happy household and reassuring relationships, and now I am moving onto pleasant pastimes. It’s starting to get complicated and interesting as the values start overlapping more. And that’s fine with me – my life is not a building held up […]
Value #3: Reassuring Relationships
At this point. I have decided that flourishing is my main goal, followed by a safe and secure shelter in the form of a happy household. My next requirement is for relationships. Like John Donne, I don’t believe that people can exist independent of each other. At the very least we have a family, but most of us choose […]
Value #2: a Happy Household
Having decided that mere wellness is insufficient and that a state of flourishing is to be desired, the next step is to determine what will support me in that endeavour. Leaving aside food, water and air (which for me comes under flourishing and will be dealt with in another post), the next thing that leaps to my mind […]
Value #1: the State of Flourishing
In my ideal universe, I would be flourishing. I would be strong, fit and energetic. I would think clearly and critically, and use those results to take prudent action. My external presentation would match my internal qualities, be an authentic representation of my nature if you will. Given that I was ill for a long time, and my […]
Values Introduction
The third year anniversary of my kidney transplant (transplantiversary) passed just a few days ago… Despite the cool wet weather, I was drinking chilled French champagne to celebrate my anniversary – not expensive enough to be a NAME, but expensive enough to be fancy. I was wishing I had bought some of those delicious biscuits designed by French […]