The wording of "enjoy your best self, one season at a a time" was chosen very intentionally:

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Enjoy

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The roots of the word "enjoy" mean to put joy in something. Living virtue in its season is a way to put joy into what you do, even very mundane things. Practicing the 13 virtues, a season at a time, gradually trains you to find profound satisfaction in very simple things like the light coming through a window and hitting the laundry just right; the details of the eyes of someone we care about; or just the sensation of being oneself inside ones body right now.

 

The life well lived includes a full range of emotions including sadness, frustration, heartbreak, anger, boredom, fear, etc. The virtue of Processing Emotions coupled with the other virtues helps you learn to not resist these feelings. They're only negative and unenjoyable if you resist them. When you just accept them for what they are and experience them like the passing of the seasons, they just are. You can even enjoy them in a sense (you may have experienced enjoying being sad or angry for example). As long as you fully process these emotions and act on them with intention (which all 13 virtues will help you do), enjoying feeling whatever your feeling will not cause harm for yourself or others.

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Your Best Self

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The origin of the word virtue implies reaching for one's own unique potential and purpose. We've learned from experience the potency of practicing the 13 virtues in their seasons. We are confident doing so will help you on your journey toward your personal best self.

 

We intentionally wrote  "enjoy your best self" in the present tense even though becoming one's best self is a process. You can enjoy the process of becoming your best self right now. The first principle of the virtue of Knowing Yourself is to have joy and a sense of sufficiency being who you are right now. You don't have to wait to become your best self to enjoy it. We've learned we can have the joy of being our best selves anywhere on the journey toward that goal.

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One Season at a Time

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"One season at a time" refers to the unique element 13 Seasons brings to the table: the discovery of the 13 virtue seasons. Living each virtue in its designated season has the following benefits:

• Instead of trying to eat the whole virtue elephant at once, you can take it one piece at a time.

• You practice all the parts of virtue throughout the year, helping you be well balanced.

• The seasons change frequently enough that you're less likely to get bored of doing one virtue all the time.

• You are practicing each virtue at the same time as the rest of the 13 Seasons community, giving you a support group and a sense of being in this together.

• For some reason that we don't yet understand, there is an invisible power that you'll experience as you practice each virtue in its season. For some reason, it's just easier to grow in each one when you do it in its designated time.

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So, please do put joy into each season by living life in a celebratory manner. Celebrate your successes. Celebrate your failures. Celebrate virtue. Celebrate the season. Celebrate your community.

 

Celebrate being you, exactly as you are now. Celebrate your best self, today.