This is the first of my promised twenty-four emails that will focus on the VIA Character Strengths from viacharacter.org. Each of us has all twenty-four of the strengths identified by the VIA Institute of Character, but the twenty-four show up in each of us in a unique combination. 

Knowing which of our strengths are more prominent and which are less prominent can be useful as we explore how we want to tackle upcoming challenges or as we reflect on the factors that led to successes so we might repeat or even improve on them.

APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY AND EXCELLENCE

The character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence comes first when the twenty-four VIA Character Strengths are arranged in alphabetical order. When we use this strength, according to VIA, we appreciate these qualities

1. physical beauty
2. skill or talent (excellence)
3. virtue or moral goodness (moral beauty). 

Pause for a moment to notice how aware you are of having the strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Where does it show up for you each day?  Do you notice physical beauty in nature, or art or design, or perhaps somewhere else? Do you appreciate the skillfulness and talent that you see in yourself and others? Or do you find yourself expressing gratitude (silently or audibly) when you see someone demonstrating moral beauty by, for example, taking responsibility for a misstep or by refusing to follow the crowd into something that is contrary to their values. 

We can notice this strength in ourselves and appreciate it. In doing so, we may notice that we are stronger in some aspects of Appreciating Beauty and Excellence than others. As I consider this, I realize that I am currently more likely to notice moral goodness and physical beauty (in nature, art, little children, for example), than I am to fully appreciate excellence in skills or talents demonstrated by others or myself. Growing in this area is something I’m going to work on.

You might want to spend a few minutes every so often focusing on where you use this skill. It can enrich your life to notice more of the beauty that surrounds you. If you decide to make a list of where you found beauty and excellence, that list might inspire you in moments when there doesn’t seem to be any beauty and excellence in your life. We all have those moments from time to time. Your list will remind you that beauty and excellence do exist in your life and you will see them again!