Unity

"Unity is a very powerful virtue and brings with it great strength. Unity is inclusiveness. It brings people together. We see our commonality without devaluing our differences. We experience our connectedness with all people and all life. Unity frees us from divisiveness of prejudice and heals our fears. We refuse to engage in conflict, seeking peace in all circumstances. Unity comes when we value every person, in our family, in our world. The joy of one is the joy of all. The hurt of one is the hurt of all. The honor of one is the honor of all."

-excerpts from the Virtues Reflection cards with permission from Linda Kavelin Popov.

Unity building has been demonstrated in communities that have been working with the virtues- in schools where staff members are acknowledging each other for their virtues-not their differences, where they are looking for the best in each other and themselves, not for the worst. They can pass this along to their students, not just in their words or their lessons, but in their actions, the most powerful way that we learn.

It sometimes seems like an uphill battle, this quest for Unity. When all around us, we hear the call to say something bad about another person, to actually compete to see who can say the worst, we have a choice. We can join in this divisiveness, or we can choose to look for the good, and to acknowledge that good in others and ourselves, to be a person who practices Unity.

Questions for reflection:

1. What words do I say to help create Unity?

2. What actions do I want to take today for Unity?

3. How can I acknowledge others for the good I see in them?

The Virtues Project™ strategies help children, youth and adults develop unity and many other virtues.