Hope - "I've always believed the future is in God's hands." Everyone has problems. How we respond, on good days and on bad, determines how well we live our lives.
Persistence - "Persistence is the single most important ingredient of success in life." It has to do with hard work, commitment, and, especially in times of adversity, sheer willpower. Persistence has a purpose and clear focal point.
Confidence - "Confidence is both a choice and a gift." We grow our confidence by taking risks and overcoming them. This does not imply success each time we take a risk or do something new. It does imply that we learn each time we do.
Optimism - "An optimistic attitude is not a luxury; it's a necessity." It fundamentally shapes our feelings, our performance, and our relationships. It channels our energies along productive paths.
Respect - "Every person is a human being created in the image of God with a purpose and place in life." We affirm and empower people by showing them respect. My own father taught me there is dignity in all work and respect is due to those who perform it.
Accountability - "Accountability is the glue that holds society together." We are responsible for what we do. We can freely choose, though the potential choices vary for each of us. In like manner, we must honestly accept accountability to ourselves and to others for our choices and their outcomes.
Family - "The home is where love and responsibility are learned and where values are transmitted from one generation to the next." We each have an obligation to nurture growth in our spouses and children, for the health of our families largely dictate the health of the other institutions in our society.
Freedom - "Free people in a free society can choose good, or they can choose evil." Where freedom is strongest, so too is economic well-being, culture, civil society, and personal opportunity.
Faith - "Without faith in a personal, creator God, the universe is a meaningless place, nothing in life has direction, and moral principles are impossible." Faith is not just a belief system, but a basis for our actions and feelings, most poignantly when we face seemingly insurmountable difficulties. "Faith is beyond reason: it fills the gap when you don't know what to do or what's going to happen."
Grace - "God's grace gives hope in the most hopeless situations." This is the most deeply personal of the lessons.
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