Five Strategies were developed to promote the practice of virtues in everyday life. Gifts of Character employs the Five Strategies as a framework to inspire excellence, promote cooperation, improve communication and enable growth.
Strategy 1: Speak the Language of the Virtues
Language shapes character. The way we speak, and the words we use, have great power to discourage or to inspire. The Language of Virtues inspires cooperation and replaces shaming and blaming with personal responsibility and respect.
Virtues Acknowledgement
Speaking the Language
Strategy 2: Recognize Teachable Moments
Recognizing the life lessons and virtues in daily situations strengthens our humility and confidence to learn from our mistakes. Instead of negatively labeling people, we call them to act on the qualities of their character.
Teachable Moments
Strategy 3: Set Clear Boundaries
Clear virtues-based boundaries based on respect, restorative justice, and reparation provide a positive approach to school-wide discipline and create a climate of peace and safety. Personal boundaries protect our time and energy.
Set Clear Boundaries
Strategy 4: Honor the Spirit
We energize positive school, work and community spirit by treating each person with dignity, and by creating a shared vision of who we are and how we want to treat one another. The most empowering way to create a safe, caring, respectful environment is not only to require it, but also to inspire it through acknowledgments and celebrations, creative expressions through the arts, service learning, servant leadership and daily modeling of the virtues.
Honor the Spirit
Strategy 5: Offer Spiritual Companioning
By being deeply present and listening with compassion and detachment, this counseling approach empowers others to make moral choices, find peaceful resolutions to conflict, and heal inner hurts.
