Select
three of Franklin's virtues and reflect upon them in your blog. Ask yourself,
how can I include them in my daily life?
Ben Franklin's virtue of temperance includes eating and drinking in moderation. This is the foundation virtue for the other 12 because self-discipline and control are developed along with confidence to start making improvements in other areas of my life. Unfortunately, when people are stressed, frustrated and avoid dealing with their real problems, they turn to food and drink instead of exercise, reading and talking about it to a friend, mentor or coach. Manning up involves facing one’s issues head on. Hunger and thirst are some of the most primal human of urges, and are some of the hardest to control. When developing self-discipline and control, one must start with the most basic appetites and work up from there. I must first harness this inward urge, before tackling the more external virtues. A clear mind and a healthy body are prerequisites to the pursuit of the virtuous life. Another good philosophy is to let food be your medicine and nutrition. Eat the right kinds and quantities of food. Don't binge eat and drink or be a pig or a hog! Remember, if you don't look after and take care of yourself, no one else will either. Others can offer you advice but only you can do it and make it happen.
Frugality is creating a financial budget, developing a financial plan and having the discipline to live and stick to it along with savings. Today, Americans' savings rate is poor and negative. Americans are spending more than they're saving along with getting into large credit card debt. And then there is interest and bankruptcy for those who can't meet their financial obligations. There are many financial institutions, e.g., banks and credit card companies, and Internet blogs that can go into detail about living frugally, however, it all comes down to one basic principle: spend less than you earn. It's too easy or is it? However, when the economy goes on a downhill slide, e.g., recession and financial, Americans usually tighten their wallets and purses, however, usually run up more credit card and loan debt. Many have become complacent and set in their ways of a comfortable lifestyle along with believing in entitlement. Based on world history, too much luxury can make a nation weak and be its collapse. The Greeks and Romans are a good examples of the negative effects of what happens to a nation when it lets propensity go unchecked with temperance and frugality. It can be its downfall and ruin. And although wealthy, Ben Franklin lived a relatively simple life. He made an effort to eat and dress simply and plainly.
The virtue of industry can be summed up as "be all that you can be" similar to the US Army motto and Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs "self-esteem and self-actualization." You get out of life what you put into it. What are your education, professional and personal goals? What is the plan to accomplish these? When I hike along a beautiful Cedar River in Renton, Washington which runs from the Cascade Mountains to Lake Washington, I noticed that the parts of the river where the water moved the fastest ran pure and clean. The parts of the river where the current slowed and stalled were stagnant and cloudy. It is the same with life; to keep ourselves happy and motivated, we must always keep moving. Otherwise we will languish and become depressed. Reflection can be used daily when having a cup of coffee or exercising to plan a daily schedule with goals. Use the past as a learning lesson, the present time if a gift from God to accomplish your goals and the future is your motivation.
References
Ben's 13 Virtues (2015). Retrieved http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/pop_virtues_list.html
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