Virtue of the Week – Friendliness
Virtue of the Week focuses on building peaceful and caring communities through understanding and fostering the practice of virtues. The Source supports the Virtues Project and will publish one virtue developed by the project each week.
Friendliness
Friendliness is reaching out and connecting to others with warmth, care and trust. It is essential to our spirit. We attract others by what we are willing to contribute. The presence of a friend can soothe us, unleash our laughter, amplify our joy and diminish our sorrow. Friends are compassionate witnesses to one another’s stories. We share our time, attention, love, and above all ourselves. We look upon strangers as friends we haven’t met yet. Friendship is the best cure for loneliness.
Quote: “One thing everybody in the world wants and needs is friendliness.” -William E. Holler
The Practice of Friendliness
I make others feel welcome.
I have compassionate curiosity.
I connect truthfully and meaningfully.
I take a genuine interest in others.
I share my laughter and my tears.
I invest my time and attention in friendship.
Questions for Discussion
- What do we need in order to invest our time and attention to social justice?
- How do we reach out to others with warmth and caring, especially to those who may seem different?
- What virtues do we need to strengthen in order to build bonds of friendship to create a more inclusive community?
- What gifts of friendliness do we have to offer to our community in order to help everyone feel welcome?
Sign up to receive the Virtue of the Week by email!
Visit https://cfvi.net/Virtues-Project and scroll to the end of the page to fill out the form.
Virtue of the Week is provided by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) in partnership with the VI Source and Virtues Matter.
About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
Since 1990, CFVI has been a catalyst for positive change in the territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit cfvi.net.
About Virtues Matter Virtues Matter was started by a passionate wife-husband team of social entrepreneurs seeking to positively uplift as many lives as possible. We aim to inspire and empower, to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and help everyone lead lives of passion and purpose.
Virtues Matter believes in a world where people are committed to kindness and respect, strive to be their best, and live with hope, courage and in unity. We built the Virtues Cards mobile app, an interactive personal and team development tool, to help people identify and develop key virtue skills. We also offer dynamic workshops, online training, and customized programs to help people cultivate these positive qualities of character. To learn more, visit virtuesmatter.com.
To learn more about the Virtues Project, visit www.virtuesproject.com.
