Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you can’t even get started? Has the drive for perfection ever thrown you into procrastination?

That’s how’s it’s been for the past year with my blogging. I’ve been learning so much about Conscious Leadership, race and equity, trauma, resilience and well-being that trying to pull nuggets that might be meaningful to share with others has left me frozen staring at a blank screen.

On January 1, 2019, my husband Dave and I started a new company called Virtues Matter. We united to bring the work I’ve been doing in education for the past 15 years, to leaders, the workplace, healthcare, communities, and, well, to all of humanity.

We also redeveloped the Virtues Cards app to equip people all over the planet with virtues in the palm of their hands, anytime, anywhere! Check out the three-minute video Dave created to illustrate the power and promise of the app – and how it can transform your life. https://www.virtuesmatter.com/app

To bring out the best in ourselves and others and to share the LOVE (Language of Virtues Everyday), follow this PLAN:

  1. Pick Daily:  Do a virtues pick at least once a day. Simply shake your phone to get a random virtue or choose the virtue you wish to read and reflect upon.

2.Look for the Good in Yourself and Others:  What we focus on expands. If we look for the good in ourselves and others, our goodness will be magnified and we’ll live from a deeper, more virtuous place.

For example, yesterday I was with a dear friend who has a 2-year-old son. She wanted help with the language of virtues and guidance on how to support him in developing prosocial behavior. I encouraged her to focus on one virtues statement at a time that she wants to reinforce until she becomes fluent in it. The language of virtues may be simple, but it’s not easy, because it requires us to be intentional and to practice. Writing can be an especially helpful tool.

Which is why, while visiting with my friend and her son, I noted some of the virtues he was demonstrating:

  • Generosity sharing his cereal with me
  • Joyfulness singing while driving in his pretend car
  • Helpfulness and orderliness putting away his toys
  • Cooperation doing what mommy asked the first time
  • Friendliness giving me a hug
  • Courtesy saying “thank you” when I gave him something
  • Patience waiting for dinner
  • Flexibility drinking coconut water instead of eating a cooki
  1. Acknowledge and Appreciate Often: Research shows that acknowledgement and appreciation are critical to positive culture and performance. “Gallup’s experience suggests that instilling frequent personalized feedback and recognition is one of the surest ways to drive that shift in workplaces worldwide. And it may take less time than one might think.”

Below are some suggestions for virtues acknowledgements and appreciations in the workplace:

  • I appreciate your commitment to excellence, always going above and beyond for our stakeholders.
  • We are grateful for your generosity contributing your time and talent to our cause.
  • Thank you for your flexibility in meeting with me after work hours.
  • I honor your loyalty of being with the company for 25 years.
  • I appreciate your openness to receiving feedback and learning from the teachable moments.
  1. Notice Teachable Moments: When things don’t go exactly as planned — say you realize a mistake’s been made and/or something could’ve been done differently — there’s no need to shame and blame yourself or others. Use your Virtues Cards app to identify a virtue that may help you move forward or make things right.

Dave and I invite you to download the free Virtues Cards app at the App Store or Google Play and get started living the PLAN today.

Wishing you much joy, meaning and purpose always and in all ways!

With warmest love and enthusiasm,

Dara