Accountability – is accepting responsibility

Mercy – is strength of character

17-23 September 2018

Mercy – Characteristic / Virtue of the Week

The virtues card states that mercy is a combination of compassion and forgiveness, that mercy is not justice, it’s giving people better than they deserve.

There are people who have had family members killed and then treated the victim’s killer with mercy – they somehow are able to feel compassion for the person who has had a major impact on their life and then forgiven them for the damage, hurt, sadness and tears they have endured because of that person’s behaviour.

A Muslim woman has publicly forgiven someone who smashed a beer glass into her face because of her commitment to her faith which teaches that love is better than hate and stated she believed having hate in anyone’s heart does not serve them well. She lets her perpetrator know that we are all the same even though we may look different and be different.

A killer tearfully asks his victim’s family to forgive him and states he lives with his actions every day and strives to be a better person every day, while his victim’s family are unable to find mercy in their hearts.

I don’t know what I would do in any of these situations and hope I never find out but this has enabled me to see and contemplate that some perpetrators learn from their mistakes because they have been treated with mercy by those they didn’t expect to receive it from. Maybe the person with the strength of character who shows mercy enables the other person to also develop their strength of character?

Self-development means constant transformation and growth throughout your life. Allow the ‘Virtue Of The Week’ to serve as a gentle reminder of who you are, and who you want to be. Contribute by creating the world you want to live in as you are aware of developing your character each week and inspire others to do the same. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Actions to take to practice Humility (5 mins a day max.):

● Every morning:

1. Read the card

2. Reflect on what the card is saying to you right now

3. Have a great day. Trust that at the right time this virtue will come to the front of mind when you need it.

● Every evening:

1. Reflect on whether you implemented this virtue today

2. If you didn’t – what could you do differently next time? If you did – acknowledge it within yourself.

Trish Corbett

info@ethicalfoundations.com.au

Trish is the author of 'How to Raise Kids With Integrity - for parents, childcare educators and teachers' and blogs about a characteristic each week so that the main role models in a child's life can help children grow with self-awareness and self-confidence so they can make a positive difference in their world by recognizing and acknowledging character qualities in themselves and others. This works for adults too! Try it - sign up for a weekly email.

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