While procrastinating on Facebook this morning, I found a post by author Susan Cain (Quiet), with a link to the VIA Survey of Character Strengths (www.viacharacter.org). VIA results list 24 character traits in order from "most like me" to "least."  I have taken the survey several times, and find it interesting to see which strengths rise to the top and which come in low. An official interpretation is provided with the results.  However, I want to reflect here on the personal significance I find in each of my own top five.

Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence.  Over the past few weeks, I have reveled in the skill and beauty of Olympic performance.  I have savored the glory of a Beethoven concert.  I have leafed through a book of delightful art by Charlie Harper.  Sunrises and sunsets.  A soft, clean layer of snow.  The warm fuzziness of a small cat sleeping on her back.  Moments of aesthetic joy lift me out of sadness, defuse anger, break up boredom, and counterbalance fear.  I am grateful for the sensitivity to see and celebrate the lovely and the good that surround me.

Perspective:  I am drawn to mountaintops and their broader view of the landscapes below.  I am also drawn to wisdom literature and teachers who offer a broader view of human experience.   The close-up view is so often filled with my ego and its self-interest.  The broader view places me and my small self in a meaningful context of others and the ultimate reality that unifies us.

Honesty:  It takes so much energy to live a lie.  Honesty for me means admitting to shortcomings and weaknesses as well as celebrating strengths and skills. Honesty looks at the five traits at the bottom of the VIA survey results and embraces their role in my life.

Forgiveness:  I was not born or raised with a habit of forgiveness, but have learned that even a mind entrenched in harsh judgment can change. The Dalai Lama writes that anger is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.  Developing a habit of forgiveness over time has, for the most part, released me from anger and diluted its poison in my system. 

Spirituality:  The spiritual concept of transcendence packages the other four traits into a harmonious set.  Beauty elevates my spirit above the ordinary.  Perspective enables my thoughts to expand beyond first impressions. Honesty grounds me in evidence and militates against pretense.  Forgiveness recognizes your connection with the Ultimate rather than stopping with the traits that annoy me now. A spiritual view is beautiful, wise, transparent, and forgiving.

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Have you taken the VIA Survey?  (It's free, give it a try). What do know of your character strengths?  How can you use them to move toward your dreams?