To survive in 1996, it is essential to have standards and goals of morality. Achieving moral excellence is challenging but worth striving for. Personally, I face numerous distractions and obstacles in today’s world, making it difficult to find direction in my life. Overcoming challenges like peer pressure is necessary for me to become a confident and successful individual. Despite the hindrances of the modern era, I believe I can triumph through morality and virtue. In my life, personal accomplishment requires the virtues of order, courage, patience, and faith.
According to Russell Kirk, the first virtue I have chosen is order. I agree with him that order is the path we follow and the pattern by which we live with purpose and meaning. Order is essential in our daily lives as it provides direction and stability. Without order, there is chaos, and little room for virtue. A personal example of order is my school schedule, which dictates where and when I should be for my academic studies.
Having order in my life is important, and I can achieve it by creating a daily schedule and sticking to it. By establishing order, I can eliminate worries and concerns, and it will become a habit. Russell Kirk also agrees that order is essential for the soul. In order to love what we should, we need to recognize principles of order to govern ourselves. Religion, morality, and our everyday emotions all stem from order. Without some kind of order, nothing can be accomplished. Therefore, recognizing the importance of order is crucial for achieving the things we desire. Ultimately, order is the fundamental need in human life.
Courage is the second virtue that I have selected. It is a quality that is necessary to conquer fear and despair. The virtue of courage holds significance as it can be employed in various situations. When individuals possess courage, they can remain strong and steady in situations that may make them uneasy. Considering that life presents numerous stressful and unfamiliar circumstances, such as the anxiety experienced on the first day of a job or school, or the uncertainty behind an unknown door, courage enables one to overcome these doubts and fears.
Personally, having courage will increase my confidence in the activities I engage in. It allows me to feel better about myself and overcome timidity. However, it is important not to abuse courage, as it can easily lead to conceit or egotism. It is easy to become egotistic by relying too heavily on courage. Courage, therefore, strikes a balance between being overly shy and being conceited.
The third virtue I have chosen for self-improvement is patience. Patience is the ability to tolerate and wait. It is necessary for life as there are many waiting moments. Since half of life is spent waiting, there are few alternatives to being patient. Without patience, people easily become frustrated and stressed due to the realization of long waiting times. Patience is a required trait, and there are no shortcuts for waiting.
Personally, patience is an essential quality in my life as I constantly experience suspense and waiting. There are numerous instances where waiting is inevitable, such as reaching adulthood at 18, attaining the legal drinking age, graduating from high school and college, and finding the love of my life to marry. It is simply impossible to expedite the process of aging or completing college.
