The Sanguine Disciple

When I first took the temperament quiz at the end of book The Temperament God Gave You by Art and Laraine Bennett…I was in denial. Sanguine. I took it again…same result. That’s when I got online and started googling temperament quizzes. I found the one that I ending up using in workshops (click on “Discover Your Temperament” on the left sidebar of this blog). When I took that quiz…same result. Sanguine again, though this time I felt better as it noted phlegmatic as a secondary temperament.

Why did I not want to “own” my temperament?  Because, of course, I resisted “owning” the vices associated with this temperament. Just recently I caught a snippet of the PBS show Under the Radar that highlights great places to visit in Michigan. There was a woman with thick dark curly hair who had started her own salon. She was saying something many women have said or heard before, “All my life I’ve wanted to have blonde straight hair.” Why do we want the opposite of what God naturally gave us? Women with pin straight hair often feel bored with it and dream of sporting the crazy beautiful curls like those of this woman and vice versa. Guys (especially those balding)  you may empathize even though you don’t want to admit it. 

The sanguine has a tendency to look on the bright side of things. They are optimistic and creative. Sanguines are easily aroused to emotion and are charismatic leaders. They are most comfortable in a team. Because of these traits, the sanguine can be easily judged as superficial, weak-spined, or worse; scatterbrained or frivolous. My worst fear. 

It’s like I was given curly hair, but if I just had straight hair more people would see the breadth and depth of our mission to cultivate virtue in our children and lead them to sainthood. Can they take me seriously? I’ve actually had people question my “joy.” Is it artificial or for real? The answer is that it is very real and very pure. The longer people have known me, this becomes obvious. Even if I wanted to - I can’t tame it down. It is my fruit of the Spirit. God gave it to me and the Holy Spirit does His work through it. Always.

You see, like all of you on this blog, I take my vocation very seriously…my marriage vocation and my lay ministry. Because I am sanguine and easily impassioned, I work extra hard to have a firm and purposeful vision.  I also try to identify those who might try to take advantage of the vices of my temperament. 

Sanguines are people pleasers. They desire to be liked and this can be dangerous at times. In a leadership role, I put extra energy into examining choices so that they are made aligned with the vision and mission of our church and my pastor, even though it may upset others. I also strategize and identify holy people from whom to seek affirmation, rather than those influenced by the capricious values of modern culture.

 I ask God not to let my decisions be influenced by the fear that I will not make someone happy, but rather in all I do, it is for the best interest of children. I ask for His grace when the usual conflict or gossip evolves, so that I don’t become spiritually drained. If my mission is to keep people happy all of the time, then I’m not doing God’s work. 

The truth is that there is this very interior and private part of me. It is this part of me that is most sacred and that very few people know. It is also this part of me that draws me to the deepest communion with God to act in correspondence with His grace. It is this part of me I must nurture amidst the activity and creativity that dominates my temperament and gives me energy…that silent beautiful place in which I can hear the voice of God. As I have made growth in virtue a priority in my life, nurturing my prayer and reflective life has become the most central element.

Teacher to Teacher (Colleague to Colleague): Your sanguine colleague is well liked. They don’t hold grudges and do not get easily offended. When they do, they forgive quickly and easily. They bring joy and enthusiasm to the mission. To other temperaments this can be frustrating or even annoying at times. Try not to let it! Your sanguine counterpart is important to the mission. We need their optimism so that we don’t become bogged down by skepticism. Allow their gifts to shield the team from skepticism and doubt that the evil one would prefer control us. 

Principal to Teacher (Supervisor to Employee): Your sanguine teachers are great liaisons! Empower them by putting them in charge of parent workshops and community functions. They will openly share the mission of the school and represent the joy and passion that we receive in Christ. They easily build relationships with students and therefore it is easy to rely on them in when we face unique situations or need to find a home for a child to thrive that has had difficulty in the past. 

Teacher to Student (Parent to Child): Your sanguine student is eager to learn. They willingly share their ideas with the class and bring a natural enthusiasm, humor, and joy.  They are also very emotional. Try to direct their passion to their faith life, rather than temptations of the world.

Your sanguine child will benefit from strong routines. Invest in this guidance and discipline to help them grow (and value) a strong inner life with roots in Christ’s constancy and love. My middle son is most likely a sanguine. He loves to shake hands with others during sign of peace at mass, while my melancholic does everything possible to avoid being noticed. Your sanguine is a social butterfly and very impressionable. Make sure during their formative years that you are leaving the impressions of the saints’ footsteps for them to follow or you risk them following the painful path of others they decide are role models. 

Self: In your relationships, practice active listening. Try not to start thinking of your response to someone while they’re talking. I have a horrible habit of “cutting in” during conversations. I’m very aware of it and have purposefully practiced patience and self control when I get excited. You have a lot of great ideas! Be careful to execute one at a time in your classroom or home or you risk falling short or giving up on all of them. Prioritize. 

Mostly, let your joy radiate. No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed.( Luke 8:16) Don’t ever let others make you feel like your light is better off hidden. If they do, this is coming from a place of envy and not love. Be careful though of coming off showy or boastful, unless you are boasting in Christ. Always reflect upon your motive and follow the example of Mary by shining your light to the face of Christ. 

I grow in virtue each day when I make the choice to unlock the door to the school and then my office. In an administrative role, I operate outside of my temperament the majority of the day. Yet, I know God chose me at this particular time to serve exactly where I am at. He wanted my creative gifts and joy at work in the lives of those I serve. He chose me. He also chose you to be exactly where you are at. His providence reigns!

I secretly envy a choleric’s ability to execute a vision and seemingly brush off the opinions of others. (Kind of like that woman on Under the Radar who all her life wanted straight blonde hair, but finally embraced herself and her gift and made a successful business helping others do the same.)  He gives me grace beyond grace to cultivate virtues that help me execute necessary leadership traits outside of my temperament. When I fall short, I give it to God. Everyday I am cultivating perseverance, obedience, modesty, meekness, and foresight. 

Regardless of your temperament, by remaining faithful to the church and its teachings and trusting in God through every conflict or challenge; He gives us every grace we need, especially in the sacraments. When you receive the Holy Eucharist this week, ask God to help you embrace your temperament and use it to live out His call in your life, and the strength to confront your vices so you can create your own personal plan to grow in virtue. 

The Melancholic Disciple

I’ve been reading the book Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly, most known for his free program “Best Lent Ever” through Dynamic Catholic (visit DynamicCatholic.com/BestLentEver to learn more.) Matthew Kelly has been traveling the world since 19 years old giving talks and inspiring millions to fall in love with their Catholic faith.

In this particular book, Matthew Kelly writes, “I’m an introvert. I know, I get up there and speak to all those thousands of people, but that is different. I’m at home up there, comfortable and relaxed” (82). He also describes himself as a planner and very organized and makes the point to inform his readers that, “planning is good and necessary up to a point, but we need to find God in the now. (52)” 

By these two statements I infer that Matthew Kelly is a melancholic. Art and Laraine Bennett describe the melancholic as taking a back seat approach to leadership. They are natural introverts drawn to analyzing things with a need for solitude and reflection. Loyalty and justice rule their heart. They can’t resist noting imperfections in themselves (and others). The melancholic is thoughtful, pious, and compassionate. The melancholic longs for perfection.

When I first read Matthew Kelly’s statement about public speaking, I thought of melancholic teachers on our team. One of my very best friends from my days teaching in public schools is definitely a melancholic. She would describe herself growing up as a wallflower who others would describe as painfully shy or her even worse might mislabel her a “snob.” Yet, when she enters into her classroom, she is in her element. How can this be? It is sort of like an alternate world, a stage on which she stands that allows her to exercise her deepest gifts, driven by her belief and passion for changing the world one student at a time. 

Teacher to Teacher (Colleague to Colleague): Melancholics are an important part of our team. They often get a bad rep as the “Debbie downer.” In a faculty meeting, when a new idea is proposed they will come across as resisting change at first as they point out the holes in the plan or those who will get the short end of the stick because of the changes. Because of their input, we can modify our appraoch to meet a goal and  strive to look at all options to create the greatest good.

Teacher to Principal (Supervisor to Employee): Take time to front load your melancholic team member. This will give them the time they need to reflect on changes or issues that might be introduced to the greater team. It will minimize a sense of negativity in a larger group because they have had time to internalize the purpose and reason. 

Also, be sure to use strategies that allow all voices to be heard. Your melancholic employee might have the “missing link” to a  plan that will drive the mission but have a difficult time contributing in a large group unless they feel a sense of trust and are safe from judgment. Your melancholic team member is an asset! They are loyal to the highest degree once trust is established. They are a true crusader for their faith and Catholic education, bearing sacrifices with grace and honor.

Teacher to Student (Parent to Child): Your melancholic student may be driven to anxiety at times. They seek order and have a difficult time being put on the spot, especially publicly. They are observers and will surprise you when weeks after a lesson is over a deep connection is made out of blue.

My oldest son is four years old and easily identifiable as melancholic. My husband is a choleric and in many ways this is like mixing fire and water. He thinks Paulie should listen because I told him so. Yet, Paulie is more likely to comply if someone invests the time in explaining the greater purpose. This takes time and energy that teachers and parents often lack.

Likewise, what might look like downright disobedience is usually driven by the melancholic’s need to explore an idea that they have been observing and thinking about for awhile. If it’s not a favorable action, I find that giving my son time to explain why he was doing it often saves him from a prolonged meltdown and me a headache. This is not the same as “giving in” because after the child explains their reasoning, the parent or teacher should still follow through on the given directive. 

However, don’t be surprised if the melancholic makes you stop dead in your tracks and ask yourself- why do I care about this? Is this rule or desired action even necessary? Is it one of those things we are doing because it’s always been done that way? Am I preventing students from learning and inquiry? 

For example: From across the room I see Paulie making a mess by the sink. “Paulie - quit playing in the sink.” He ignores me. Grrrr. “Paulie, why are you ignoring me. I said - stop now. You’re making a mess and it’s time for dinner.”  More selective hearing. I walk over to him. “Paulie, what are you doing?” 

“I’m saving 10 people by bringing them water.”

I look into the sink and see ten spoons carefully laid out. He has a firetruck and little cup that he’s using to fill a bowl. 

“I see. That’s very noble of you. You make a good hero. Now it’s time to start cleaning up though because I need to get dinner ready. Can I help you?” This type of interaction usually yields the most desired effect. 

Melancholics in your class will benefit beyond measure during independent work if you take the time to check in with them after direct instruction and get them started on a few problems. Identify these students and rotate among them early on. They are the ones likely to be staring at blank sheet of paper for five minutes during writing workshop when prewriting. Once they get a gentle push in the right direction and a boost of confidence, their performance will wow you! 

Self: I imagine that because of the natural desire for perfection, growth mindset philosophy is most difficult to embrace for this temperament. In addition, the melancholic is likely offended by the thought of being pigeon-holed into a temperament category. Kudos to you if you are going outside yourself by using this blog as way to grow in virtue.

Often times, your insecurities will rule you. Don’t let them! You intuitive nature and observations make you invaluable to your students and peers. Under your care, their needs will never go unnoticed or be forgetten. 

Pray for confidence to face what you deem to be imperfections. Try to accept the idea that all things, including you and me, are a work in progress. Don’t let gaps and contradictions in curriculum, instruction, assessment, school programs or policies keep you from enjoying the teaching and learning process or being immersed in the joy that surrounds you. Lastly, try to rise above “holding grudges.” Your sense of justice is a beautiful thing, but withers if not embraced in love and relationship.

If you are a melancholic and you have been regularly reading this blog, I give you tons of credit. This effort alone means you have a deep desire to grow in virtue and holiness. Matthew Kelly recognized that he is growing in virtue everytime he tries not to let his “plans” rule him, but challenges himself to be immersed in the present moment. Your longing for perfection might at times make you feel like you are constantly battling being judgmental or feeling insecure. Yet, this “cross” is precisely the gift that God has given you to lead you to sainthood if applied intentionally to grow in virtue.

The Choleric Disciple

What gets noticed, gets done. 

Kasey Cronin reminded me of this unwritten truth as we reflected upon the norming process my staff was engaging in to find common ground with various tools for virtue based discipline and behavior support. What we found was that we had several forms at my school to capture a students needs and our best response, but most of our resources were to identify behaviors that needed improvement. How could we begin to better recognize those students who regularly cultivate virtue as well? 

What gets noticed, gets done.

“Don’t yell.” 

“Don’t talk while I’m talking.” 

“Don’t leave your things all over the place.” 

“Don’t hit.”

“Don’t cry.”

Norman Doidge points out in in The Brain that Changes Itself the research that shows “neurons that fire together, wire together (63)” through the neuroplastic nature of our brain function. Enough repetition of our brain “firing together” and more progess is made as the neurons wire together. In other words, habits are hard to change.

This is why it’s important to turn things around sometimes and focus on the virtue rather than the vice. Make a habit of regularly noticing and repeating what you want done, rather than what you do not want. 

“Soft voice.”

“Bubbles in your mouth..”

“Tidy up.”

“Nice hands.”

“Be calm”

The choleric disciple has a temperament that often stands out for getting things done. Art and Laraine Bennet describe the choleric as classic go getters that love to take charge of projects and people. They make battle plans and delegate roles. Cholerics are confident and decisive. A choleric will react quickly and intensely to situation.

Think of your classroom or family dynamic for a second. Do you have two “strong personalities” that sometimes collide right into one another…over and over again. Both personalities are too stubborn to back down? In cooperative learning settings, having more than one choleric in a group is a great way to help them intentionally grow in virtue, but can also be a recipe for disaster if you don’t plan on teaching virtue along with the core objective. Let’s take a snapshot of other relationships we can cultivate intentionally and empathically with our choleric brothers and sisters in Christ.

Teacher to Teacher (Colleague to Colleague): Sometimes a choleric can come across harsh or critical. Don’t take it personally. They don’t intend for you to take it personally. They simply are trying to reach the goal and won’t always slow down or find it necessary to consider everyone’s feelings along the way. If they are forging ahead on the mission and progress is being made, then that’s all that matters to them and they think it’s all that should matter to you.

Principal to Teacher (Supervisor to Employee): Your choleric teachers will take the lead on school improvement, fundraisers, and service projects. Appreciate that, but also stay in tune with others as they delegate. Help them to be aware of how they approach the team and be ready to do a little bit of intervention when necessary to make sure everyone is in tune. 

Teacher to Student: Your choleric students are driven! If you make your objective clear and help them find the value in mastering it, you will both feel a great sense of achievement. Choleric students thrive on competition.  They will naturally turn learning into a competition in class and can be quite outspoken along the way. This can be frustrating to others as the choleric may come across insensitive or possessive at times. Teach your choleric students how to compete against their own accomplishments by raising the bar. Use visual tools like data charts to help them self assess and monitor their goals. 

Parent to Child: Your strong willed child may be cause for a lot of deep breathing at times, but guide them in virtue and teach them to fix their gaze and sights on heaven. What a gift the choleric child is as they speak and lead others to Christ and defend the teachings of the church without tiptoeing around the Truth! Just be careful to always model patience and humility. Nurture a strong devotion to the Holy Mother so that they might learn from her docility and tenderness in their approach as well. 

Self: You are a hard worker! You thrive on activity and work. The Lord sees your effort and you will be rewarded greatly. In his Confessions (Lib 1,1-2,2.5,5: CSEL 33, 1-5) Saint Augustine famously states “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Take time to pause and rest in the Lord today. Enjoy and appreciate those who labor along with you. Try not to get fixated on the “faults” in others that might slow you down, rather the gifts they are willing to offer. 

Thank you Jesus for those who lead our homes, parishes, and school with passion and enthusiasm. Open our eyes to the needs of others as we do Your will. Give us a broad vision, foresight, and patience as we build up Your church. Help us not to isolate others or be blinded by pride. Rather, may we empty ourselves out so that only Your face is seen, Your words heard, and Your actions revealed… Lord, make it so that YOU are what gets noticed and YOUR will is what gets done. Amen.

The Phlegmatic Disciple

This past week we celebrated the feast day of St. John Neumann. I read on my Laudate app (great app by the way if you don’t have it…) that when the Bishop who was supposed to ordain him fell sick in wake of an overabundance (must be nice) of priests in Bohemia, he decided to go to America to seek ordination. 

He walked most of the way to France, got on a boat to America where he was ordained, and then became one of 37 priests serving 200,000 Catholics. 

St. John Neumann had a growth mindset. He did not say to himself…well, I guess the bishop falling sick is a sign I shouldn’t be a priest…and then start drifting about in search of a new destiny. Rather, he was confident in God’s call. Every obstacle gave him even more conviction to meet his goal, rather than shying away from it or being paralyzed by doubt. 

The devil wants us to be paralyzed by doubt. He will put roadblocks in place to try and stop you. The more you are on the path to God’s will in your life and leading others to Him as well, the more obstacles you’ll face. A strong prayer life will keep you steady. Those road blocks come in many forms; distraction, doubt, fear, and anxiety to just name a few. 

In this post, we are going to focus for a moment on the phlegmatic temperament.  A phlegmatic is a servant leader. They are peace makers often crippled by conflict. Phlegmatics are empathic, easygoing, agreeable, and great listeners. They struggle to make difficult decisions for the sake of the mission. 

Teacher to Teacher (Peer to Peer): Your phlegmatic colleagues have a knack for diffusing tense situations. They are comforting to you and always there to listen. Sometimes their perspective and valuable ideas get overlooked because they don’t want to rock the boat if strong opinions have been unleashed. 

Principal to Teacher (Supervisor to Employee): Your phlegmatic teachers and staff are clear, concise, dutiful, dependable, and thoughtful. They are in tune with others and your true school climate. 

Be sure in faculty meetings to use techniques that create a safe environment for their thoughts to be heard. For example, have every person say a star and a wish at the beginning of the meeting or on a controversial talking point. Use tools such as sticky notes and anonymous ways to communicate. Come to their aide if others pounce quickly, so they do not feel shut down in the future. Your phlegmatics really want to please you. Be careful not to take advantage of their unwavering “yes.”

Teacher to Student (Mentor to Apprentice): Your phlegmatic students won’t draw attention to themselves. Because of their often mild disposition, they can often get overlooked or needs go unaddressed. Use strategies such as think-pair-share to make sure their voice is heard. They might not raise their hand often and will get mortified if you put them on the spot - especially in group activities that they feel they could let someone down. Be empathic. 

Help your phlegmatic students by frontloading them and coaching them. Perhaps let them know in advance you plan on calling on them to read a certain section or share an answer so they have time to read it over a few times. This will encourage participation. During group work, give students specific roles.

Parent to child: Art and Laraine Bennett write, “Your phlegmatic child can be so cooperative that you may realize after living with him for ten to twelve years that you really don’t have a clue about what he really thinks or feels” (131). He may be the one who takes all the blame just to avoid problems. Things get busy. Make a concerted effort to engage  your phlegmatic child in activities that are structured and safe and that he likes. Be sure to teach your phlegmatic child how to stand up for himself in a Christlike way.

Self: Pray for perseverance in all you do! Be strong and confident in your faith and ask God to be your voice in situations that you have an opinion, but feel anxious speaking up. Strive not to passively agree with others in matters of your faith or let others take advantage of your amiability. Know God's destiny for you and cling to it. Continue to use your gifts to bring peace and joy to all you encounter. 

Who knows if St. John Neumann was phlegmatic. Let’s presume for a moment that he was. If so, his growth mindset allowed him to be fixed on God and grow in virtue beyond imagination through a deep prayer life and unwavering faith. First of all, he would have had to find the motivation within himself to leave when it would have been much easier to stay behind. He would have had to fight the fear of disappointing others when he left Bohemia and the anxiety of the unknown as he traveled by foot to France. 

Yet, St. John Neumann chose to serve in a rural area where he built himself a small log cabin rather than a populous city. Surely this would be the preferred setting for the reserved nature of a phlegmatic saint. I can just see St. John Neumann, the servant leader, as he walked miles from remote farm to remote farm to minister to his people. 

St. John Neumann knew the “vital necessity of his personal contribution (Bennett 42)” and that helped him to persevere in his baptismal call rather than falling victim to a natural sense of detachment or laziness. He eventually built fifty churches, opened 100 schools, and Catholic school students in his diocese grew from 500 to 9,000. 

Don’t be intimidated! Let’s take baby steps together. I’d be happy if I could just get my laundry in drawers and the baby’s “next size up” bin of clothes out of the closet and washed. I have long desired this to be done to live out my marriage vocation more dutifully!

This week let us together pray for and encourage those we love and serve who are phlegmatic. May you be aroused this week to achieve a goal you have long desired in your heart. 

St. John Neumann, Pray for us. 

Meltdowns

Two days after Christmas grandpa realized he forgot to give us his Christmas cards. It happened to be my husband’s day off of work. Being in retail he had worked through most of the holiday. 

We drove to the restaurant that his dad has worked at for many years. Despite nap time encroaching upon us, things seemed to be going fine. The toddlers were playing with the balls at the pool table and dad brought a pizza out to us. The baby was hanging out in his car seat taking it all in.

Getting a little too much in the Christmas spirit, I broke a long lived rule… I gave my four year old quarters for the junk machine. He wanted a punch balloon. He put in the quarter and out came a purple one. 

Disappointed, he looked up at me and said, “I wanted a green one.” 

“That’s too bad,” I replied. “That’s why these machines can be tricky. You don’t always get what you want.” I gently guided him away from the machine.

Seconds later, our two year old emerged with his treasure and it had a green balloon in it. Paulie made a grab for it. I tried to intercept, but was too late. Let the meltdown begin! 

In seconds, crying kids were flung over dad’s shoulders like sacks of potatoes and being hauled out to get buckled in car seats. Mantras like, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit,” were therapeutically being repeated, even though reasoning at this point was useless. 

Meanwhile the 8 month old is cooing and laughing to himself in his car seat as my husband re-enters to take him out.  He observes the female sanguine at the next table sticking her fingers in our 8 month old’s mouth. For what reason we don’t know because that one (phlegmatic) never cries! 

Completely disgusted he grabs the car seat and starts deep breathing, giving her a look that could kill as he exits.

I was so busy apologizing to the entire restaurant that I didn’t even notice this stranger with my baby. Feeling a huge sense of mom guilt overwhlem me, I quickly scoop leftover pizza into the take out boxes  and kiss grandpa goodbye. 

Four minutes. 

Four highly emotional minutes among many moments in the day. 

Let’s examine how just this one moment in time can help us grow in virtue by replaying it through the lense of the temperaments.

Paulie the melancholic 4 year old had probably played out this moment in his mind for months after being told over and over again…no quarters. Total injustice ruled his heart the moment it didn’t happen the way he thought it was supposed to happen. 

A prayer for the melancholic: Dear Jesus, I have a strong expectation of the way things should be and high expectations of others. Thank you for this gift. Grant me your grace to accept it when things don’t go as I planned or when others disappoint me.

Mom the sanguine/phlegmatic is looking around the restaurant wondering what people are thinking? Do they think the children are spoiled? Are we coming across as “those parents” who give in to everything? Are they expecting to see a public flogging to prove that we indeed do not let our children get whatever they want?

Looking back, I should NOT have been free spirited at that moment, especially so close to nap time and with no prepping Paulie how the machines work. 

Going back in time - Don’t give the quarters. Who cares that it’s Christmas…Who cares if he is disappointed. He has been every other time he’s been told no too and he has survived. With a little bit of foresight, the whole situation could have been avoided altogether.

A prayer for the phlegmatic: Dear Jesus, thank for giving me a heart that desires peace. Help me to care only about what you think of me. Help me to respond to all situations with love and mercy and disregard the opinions of others if I am doing Your will. 

Random couple at next table - sanguines? They are trying to strike up conversation and give the kids MORE quarters. They are trying to help. Grandpa too is trying to cheer up the boys, but they are lost in their weariness and disappointment. Henry is still upset at the fun being ruined more than anything else.

A prayer for the sanguine: Dear Jesus, thank you for the joy you give me and help me bring to others. Help me to discern the right way to help others in need. Give me the grace to listen and pray in silence for those in need when its appropriate. Help me to accept life’s disappointments. 

Dad (choleric): Once we’re finally in the car the frustration continues to escalate even though the moment is over. He is still brewing over the fact that the random stranger was putting her fingers in Stanley’s mouth. There’s nothing we can do about it now and dwelling on it is clearly not healthy.

A prayer for the choleric: Dear Jesus, thank you for giving me confidence to take swift action when necessary. Help me to be forgiving. When I answer your call and take action, may my works not isolate others but bring them closer to you. 

Four minutes of a typical moment and look how much there is to learn! Imagine God's graces in coming to understand the more complex and burdensome areas of our lives. 

Over the next month, we will dedicate each week to one of the four  temperaments and examine it from a growth mindset. We will look at vices and virtues and how these are exhibited by ourselves, our coworkers, and our children and how we can become holier through empathic relationships with one another and intentional action.

As you make New Year’s resolutions this year, I invite you to set a spiritual goal to grow in virtue by making the language of temperaments and growth mindset part of your journey. Happy New Year!