It has spread throughout 85 countries, moved into businesses, homes, schools, prisons, service groups and organizations. And it has a home in Squamish too.
The Squamish Virtues Committee is part of the Virtues Project, and the committee held a workshop presentation on Jan. 16 to explain what virtues are, and how they are relevant to life.
Janice Hurford, a Virtues Project facilitator, presented the five strategies for the use of virtues which are speak the language of the virtues, recognize teachable moments, set clear boundaries, honour the spirit and offer spiritual company.
There are hundreds of virtues; the trick is finding the one that applies to a situation and using it. At the workshop, participants were given a card with a virtue on it. They formed a sharing circle, and explained what the card meant to them.
Part of setting clear boundaries meant participants were only to share what they felt comfortable with. The other participants had to be silent, thus offering spiritual company.
"There's something about being listened to," Hurford said. "It's a gift both ways."
After the person finished speaking the other participants had to acknowledge a virtue the speaker had demonstrated.
"It's very easy to hear negative self talk in our heads sometimes," Hurford said. But acknowledging a positive virtue can help alleviate negativity.
Wanda Groetelaars heard about the Virtues Project in 1997.
"I decided I was going to use it in my everyday life," said Groetelaars, who presented "Keys to Intimacy: How to bring Joy Into Our Relationships."
She explained how virtues can help relationships. "Intimacy takes work. Life is not an art gallery, it's a workshop."
Using and demonstrating the virtues of love, trust, trustworthiness, patience and forgiveness can strengthen relationships.
"Patience is a quiet hope and trust that things will turn out all right." she said. "Patience is a commitment to the future."
Sometimes in a relationship there is going to be conflict so put it in the frame of the virtue, Groetelaars said.
"To change things we must commit ourselves to it."
She said there are four troubled "C's" in relationships - control, criticism, contempt and contention. Control and criticism need to be turned into acceptance, contempt into appreciation and contention into assertiveness.
The Squamish Virtues Committee was formed in 2002 and has five committee members and 12 trained facilitators.
The Virtues Project was founded in 1991 by Linda Kavelin-Popov, a psychotherapist, organizational consultant and community healer and her husband and her brother, who all wanted to do something to counteract rising violence among youth and families.
For more information contact 604-898-5033.
