Benjamin Franklin's Virtues

Over a year ago, I started a series about Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues, and I realized over the weekend, I never finished it.  So I've finished the last few, and I'm going to repost the entire series, every Wednesday--starting with this short introduction.

Benjamin Franklin
(1706 - 1790)

Benjamin Franklin is an American legend, what we’d call today a “self-made man.” He was born into a poor family and only receiving two years of formal schooling. Regardless of his humble beginnings, Franklin became a successful printer, inventor, scientist, musician, diplomat, and writer.

The key to his success was that he constantly strove to improve himself. By the age of 20, Ben Franklin had set a lofty goal for himself.

“I conceiv’d the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into.”

Franklin's weekly chart to
track his progress

In order to accomplish his goal, Franklin developed and committed himself to a personal improvement program that consisted of living 13 virtues. In order to keep track of how well he was doing in attaining his goal to, Franklin carried around a small book of 13 charts. Franklin evaluated himself at the end of each day. He placed a dot next to each virtue each had violated. The goal was to minimize the number of marks, thus indicating a “clean” life free of vice.

Franklin would pay particular attention to one virtue each week, trying hard not to get a single mark for an entire week on that virtue. So after 13 weeks he had moved through all 13 virtues and would then start all over again. It was a habit he continued for the rest of his life.

While Franklin never accomplished his goal of moral perfection, being particularly challenged by the virtues of temperance and chastity, but he felt he benefited from the exercise none-the-less.

“Tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”

Applying Franklin’s Virtues To Your Life

I thought over the next several weeks, every Wednesday, I’d post one of Franklin’s virtues and his definition of it. Perhaps over the course of the next several weeks, it will help us all the think more about what we do every day, and perhaps by doing so, we may benefit by the exercise as Franklin did.

~TEC

Taylor Swift: Country Music's Entertainer of the Year

Congratulations to Taylor Swift for winning the American Country Music Entertainer of the Year Award.  I thought I'd post one of my favorite videos--"Change."  I've posted it before, but those of you familiar with the building will immediately recognize the location of the video as the ballroom in the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral.



~TEC

Freemason Wisdom: George Washington On The Constitution

"Precedents are dangerous things; let the reins of government then be braced and held with a steady hand, and every violation of the Constitution be reprehended: If defective let it be amended, but not suffered to be trampled upon whilst it has an existence."

~George Washington

 Bro. Washington understood the dangers to our founding document even before the ink was dry on it.  He knew there would be those that challenged it, tried to ignore it, or disregard it when there was some goal they wished to accomplish.  Obviously, the same is true today. The constitution protects the individual against the government by limiting its power.  The larger the government, the smaller the citizen.  If you recall your history, it was large government, out of touch with and unconcerned about their citizens, that America rebelled against. 

~TEC

Author Todd E. Creason Announces Hiatus

It's true. I'm in the process of wrapping things up now.

Over the next couple weeks, I'll be finishing up a few projects (one with my good friend and Brother Master Mason Michael Shirley), and then I'll be shutting down for what could be an extended leave from writing.  I do plan on continuing to post on The Midnight Freemason as long as the interest remains, but I'll probably cut down on it a little bit (and I've asked a few friends to guest post on occasion as well).  But there won't be another book for quite some time.

I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'd be foolish to pass it up.  I never finished my bachelor's degree.  I've worked on it on-and-off for years, but recently I was given a tremendous incentive (and the opportunity) to finish it.  It will take me approximately two years--and depending on how this goes, I may not stop with that. We'll see what happens.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to be both a full-time employee, a full-time student, and a part-time writer (and lets not forget husband and dad in there, too).  It's been a very difficult decision to make.  I really enjoy writing, and hopefully, the idea of getting back to it will push me to finish up as quickly as possible.

I realize the timing is a little odd with the recent release of my fifth book A Shot After Midnight.  But with the new book, many have asked me what I'm going to be working on next . . . so now you know.  I'll be working on me (and many would argue I could use extensive work).  And, of course, in this most recent novel, I left a hell of a cliff-hanger!  Be patient.  Believe me, the next one is the best story I've come up with, in fact, it's the story I've been working up to with the previous two novels.  The next story in the Twin Rivers Series has been the goal of these novels from the very beginning.  I knew where I was going from the first book--it's an idea I've been toying with for nearly 20 years.  If you read the first two novels carefully, it's all there. There will be a lot of surprises in the next one. I promise you, it will be worth the wait.

I'll still be around, just in a reduced capacity.  And I'll still be here, so be sure to continue to stop in.  I'm very pleased to tell you that March 2012 was my best "hit" month since I started.  I enjoy this, and I'm certainly not giving this up.  Who knows, fewer posts may be a positive thing--as my wife is so fond of pointing out, a little of me sometimes goes a long, long way.

And thank you all, for your support, your comments, and your emails.  I'm not done yet--I'm just getting started.  I'm just going to take a little time to smooth some of the edges on that ashlar.

~Todd E. Creason