Virtue of the Week: Tolerance

The older I get the more I understand that nobody is perfect, least of all me, and it's important to keep an open mind in all situations. This is something I've been particularly mindful of the last couple weeks. When I was five days into my discovery of the Avett Brothers all I wanted to do was quit my job and listen to them all day and go see them as much as I could, and it was at that moment that I realized that I had become very much like people who are into Phish, people I have made fun of for years. Ooops. Lesson learned.

Twice in the past five days I've come across Plato's quote "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." And this week's Virtue of the Week from St. James the Greater's bulletin? Tolerance. Perfect!


The entire rest of the post is copied directly from the St. James bulletin, with no permission whatsoever.

Virtue of the Week: Tolerance

Tolerance helps us to accept differences and frees us from being judgmental. It is recognizing that all people have feelings, needs, hopes and dreams. Tolerance is an appreciation for diversity, whether of culture or temperament. It leads to unity. It is being patient and forgiving when others make mistakes, while calling on discernment to know when to stand up for justice. Tolerance is accepting things that we wish were different with humor and grace. It allows us to embrace the pain as well as the joys of life.

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." -- Carl Jung

The Practice of Tolerance
I appreciate differences.
I free myself from prejudice.
I refrain from judging myself or others.
I forgive mistakes.
I accept what I cannot change.
I balance acceptance with justice.

I am thankful for the gift of Tolerance. It broadens my horizons.