Just by arriving at planet earth,

we are born in grace,

but we are not born in virtue.

Virtue has to be acquired over time

through hard work and perseverance.

Virtues are not obsequious,

to the contrary,

they have to be

learned and applied,

sought and sweated,

identified and pursued,

nurtured and harvested,

cultivated with discipline

and developed with sacrifice.

We acquire knowledge

seeking to learn insight, wisdom and good judgment.

We build brave hearts and fortitude

to build courage, tenacity and valor.

We practice compassion and benevolence

in order to learn how to empathize and be mindful,

which perennially results in loving mankind.

We exercise unwavering truthfulness and unflinching integrity

to cement our honesty, honor, probity and good name.

We exercise serenity and silence

in order to be paused, considerate and thoughtful.

We live in order and neatness

to become structured, methodical and organized.

We pursue righteousness and rightfulness

in order to achieve fairness, correctness and impartiality.

We exhibit unflickering hope, boundless generosity,

endless gratitude and genuine humility

aiming to exceed and surpass all we’ve received 

forming our legacy out of it.

As our virtues grow, 

they mature into a condition of noble excellence.

As they evolve,

our virtues become the genesis and enablers

of our beliefs and value system

Virtues are imperative tools of life,

without chasing and procuring them,

we are not fully functional, coherent or guided beings, 

causing us to march through life with blinders on,

unable to extract the fruits of joy from a life in full.

Our virtues are the foundations of our values,

which in turn are the pillars of our character,

hence, without a solid set of virtues,

our values will be incomplete or flawed,

causing seismic faults in our character.

Like masterpieces on a museum,

our virtues display

our best attitudes, qualities, behavior,

measured under the most demanding of levels.

Being virtuous is to be equipped

with a precious set of attributes

that inexorably lead us to excellence

in conducting ourselves in life,

guided by extraordinary standards

of nobility,

righteousness,

sensibility,

and rightfulness;

under the mantel of inspiration and joy

of a virtuous existence,

a “Life in Full.”