The Wisdom Page 

 

The Virtues Project

We tend to associate wisdom with age and considerable life experience, but is there any way of helping children move in this direction — any way of giving them a head start toward wisdom? The YES answer from The Virtues Project is to teach children about the virtues.

From an International Year of the Family publication Caring for Families, quoted in the June 1995 VIRTUES PROJECT NEWS:

The Virtues Project is an initiative which began in 1991 to empower individuals and families to live by their deepest values. The Virtues Guide, by Linda Kavelin Popov, Dr. Dan Popov and John Kavelin . . . is the seminal book of The Virtues Project and . . . is sourced in the simple wisdom of many world religions, all of which describe the human virtues as the highest aspiration for humanity. Virtues are more basic than values. All cultures honor virtues such as courage, love, honesty, loyalty, excellence, and service, yet they apply them differently according to their diverse value systems.

In addition to The Virtues Guide, there are a variety of other Project materials. These include Virtues Reminders, a set of 52 multicolored leaflets, each having an inspirational quote and a brief description of the Virtue on one side, and "signs of success" and an "affirmation" on the other.

The 52 virtues dealt with are:

Assertiveness Faithfulness Kindness Respect
Caring Flexibility Love Responsibility
Cleanliness Forgiveness Loyalty Reverence
Compassion Friendliness Mercy Self-Discipline
Confidence Generosity Moderation Service
Consideration Gentleness Modesty Steadfastness
Courage Helpfulness Obedience Tact
Courtesy Honesty Orderliness Thankfulness
Creativity Honor Patience Tolerance
Detachment Humility Peacefulness Trust
Determination Idealism Prayerfulness Trustworthiness
Enthusiasm Joyfulness Purposefulness Truthfulness
Excellence Justice Reliability Unity

The Virtues Guide is priced at $24.95, and a set of Virtues Reminders is $7.95. Acceptable methods of payment are a check or money order in U.S. funds, Visa, or MasterCard.

Virtues Project materials can be ordered from Virtues Communications, P.O. Box 18078, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269 USA. Phone Orders: 800-850-0714. Fax Orders: 602-816-0716. Email: VirtuesCom@aol.com And there is now a Virtues Project Web Site.