Some qualities I admire

Love - this is the quality I admire the most and informs the majority of my perspective on life and the choices I make. For me, love is more than doing things to make other people feel loved, although it is certainly that to a large extent - it is doing things that are in their best interest, even if it may appear unpopular at first glance - it is sacrificing one's self in order to ulimately lift up the person or persons one loves. Why does love make people sacrifice? Because the person someone loves is really a part (an important part) of who he or she is; this person, in other words, gives meaning, joy, hope, purpose - life itself - to the person who loves.

Dedication - in order of admiration, I like this quality second. I always strive to be a dedicated person, although I sometimes fall short. How exactly do I define dedication? I see it as being sincere, passionate and committed in one's convictions. It is following through on promises and not giving up when the going gets tough. What dedication does not mean, insofar as I would definite it, is "winning at all cost" or "putting self above service". Dedication is only an admirable quality if is conducted in a good faith way and employed in the service of worthwhile goals.

Peace - this is an important quality. For me, peace is not simply a state of mind, nor should it be confused with pacificism. A better word to describe my view of peace would be "conflict transformation." Peace, in my view, is the decisions we make and the manner in which we engage potential conflict - choosing diplomacy over belligerance, for example. It means changing the underlining structures that cause conflict or making decisions that would lead to lasting peace. (To be sure, there are instances where the methods of peaceful engagement are insufficient, such as genocide and the like, and in those cases it is advisable to utilize more forceful methods. But our inclination, I believe, should be to utilize peaceful means first and foremost).

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This concludes Part 1 of my post on this topic. Next blog entry will include my thoughts on the following: Thoughtfulness, Compassion.