Advent at Work: The Virtue of Temperance
Continuing with our Advent theme, we begin today with a discussion of the virtue of temperance. But first a bit more regarding he Four Cardinal virtues:
Now let's see how the virtue of temperance shapes and directs us in our work each day.
Temperance: the righteous habit which makes a man govern his natural appetite for pleasures of the senses in accordance with the norm prescribed by reason. Temperance controls the yearning for pleasures and delights which most powerfully attract the human heart. Think: moderation.
In our recent series on setting goals, we used the example of someone who likes wine and wants to pursue a life-long desire to become an expert (remember there's nothing wrong with eating great food and drinking great wine if you can afford it). The virtue of temperance helps us increase our knowledge and appreciation of the grape without becoming a drunk.
At work, we can apply this virtue in its broadest sense: moderation and self-control. In its most general application, temperance will help us balance our work lives with our personal lives. Without such balance, our family lives would be a shambles. Unless we leave time for prayer and study, our spiritual life will stall, leaving us entangled in the world, the flesh and devil, rather than growing closer to God.
Here's an example of a more specific application of temperance: balancing your work load. Not only should you keep a proper balance between your work and personal life, but you need to keep the various demands of your particular position, as well as the commitments you make to others, in balance. Re demands, we need to be sure that we're attending to all aspects of our job that require our attention, including those tasks that we're not particularly fond of. In my case, the administrative tasks required of a small business owner can sometimes drive me crazy. But if I indulge myself only in those tasks which more suit my liking, I quickly fall hopelessly behind in those administrative tasks. And this inevitably causes me to have to anxiously scramble to meet tax and government filing deadlines, etc. Temperance checks my desire to spend more time with the more pleasureful aspects of the business, thereby affording me the time to keep on top of compliance requirements, government regulations, and tracking of income and expenses, among other things.
Re commitments to others, it's critically important that you do what you say you're going to do for or with your boss, your colleagues, your customers. But sometimes, as we seek to do our best, to excel at what we do, we can find ourselves "over-committed" which can lead to not fulfilling our various commitments either fully, on time, or both. The virtue of temperance will help you to sort things out such that you commit to what you can do when you can do it. When you operate this way, you build a reputation for integrity; when you don't, that reputation suffers.
One last thought about temperance: Doing all things in moderation doesn't mean we can't be enthusiastic about what we do. While enthusiasm may be lacking in many tasks we're called on to perform throughout a typical work day, when the luxury of enthusiasm accompanies a particular task, enjoy it. Just don't go overboard and neglect your other duties. So when I come upon a particularly engaging piece of research and analysis that draws upon my intellect, and even fires up my emotions when I glean especially useful ideas that will improve my life and the lives of my clients, I need temperance to enliven my will such that I make sure the other demands and commitments of the day are addressed adequately.
Next time we consider the virtue of justice.
- Prudence
- Temperance
- Fortitude
- Justice
Now let's see how the virtue of temperance shapes and directs us in our work each day.
Temperance: the righteous habit which makes a man govern his natural appetite for pleasures of the senses in accordance with the norm prescribed by reason. Temperance controls the yearning for pleasures and delights which most powerfully attract the human heart. Think: moderation.
In our recent series on setting goals, we used the example of someone who likes wine and wants to pursue a life-long desire to become an expert (remember there's nothing wrong with eating great food and drinking great wine if you can afford it). The virtue of temperance helps us increase our knowledge and appreciation of the grape without becoming a drunk.
At work, we can apply this virtue in its broadest sense: moderation and self-control. In its most general application, temperance will help us balance our work lives with our personal lives. Without such balance, our family lives would be a shambles. Unless we leave time for prayer and study, our spiritual life will stall, leaving us entangled in the world, the flesh and devil, rather than growing closer to God.
Here's an example of a more specific application of temperance: balancing your work load. Not only should you keep a proper balance between your work and personal life, but you need to keep the various demands of your particular position, as well as the commitments you make to others, in balance. Re demands, we need to be sure that we're attending to all aspects of our job that require our attention, including those tasks that we're not particularly fond of. In my case, the administrative tasks required of a small business owner can sometimes drive me crazy. But if I indulge myself only in those tasks which more suit my liking, I quickly fall hopelessly behind in those administrative tasks. And this inevitably causes me to have to anxiously scramble to meet tax and government filing deadlines, etc. Temperance checks my desire to spend more time with the more pleasureful aspects of the business, thereby affording me the time to keep on top of compliance requirements, government regulations, and tracking of income and expenses, among other things.
Re commitments to others, it's critically important that you do what you say you're going to do for or with your boss, your colleagues, your customers. But sometimes, as we seek to do our best, to excel at what we do, we can find ourselves "over-committed" which can lead to not fulfilling our various commitments either fully, on time, or both. The virtue of temperance will help you to sort things out such that you commit to what you can do when you can do it. When you operate this way, you build a reputation for integrity; when you don't, that reputation suffers.
One last thought about temperance: Doing all things in moderation doesn't mean we can't be enthusiastic about what we do. While enthusiasm may be lacking in many tasks we're called on to perform throughout a typical work day, when the luxury of enthusiasm accompanies a particular task, enjoy it. Just don't go overboard and neglect your other duties. So when I come upon a particularly engaging piece of research and analysis that draws upon my intellect, and even fires up my emotions when I glean especially useful ideas that will improve my life and the lives of my clients, I need temperance to enliven my will such that I make sure the other demands and commitments of the day are addressed adequately.
Next time we consider the virtue of justice.
Divine Infant of Bethlehem
Come and take birth in our hearts!
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