SHAPE YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER NOW

You can shape your own character. And that is a beautiful and powerful notion.

Check out the Periodic Table of Character Strengths, created by award-winning filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, which presents people we admire who exemplify these strengths. We highlight 10 of these heros below.

1. GRATITUDE -- JANE GOODALL

It is fascinating to observe and learn about the character strengths of other species. Primatologist and anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall dedicated much of her life to studying the character and social behavior of chimpanzees.

The world was moved deeply as it watched the video of Wounda, a young chimpanzee, who embraced Goodall and expressed profound gratitude after being rescued and released.

2. CREATIVITY -- FRIDA KAHLO

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo mainly painted self-portraits, yet her body of work exudes a wide range of creativity, as did her brilliantly colorful life.

"I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration." 

3. LOVE OF LEARNING -- MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Malala Yousafzai’s love of learning almost got her killed, but that didn’t stop her. She survived after the Taliban shot her in the head for the “crime” of being a girl who tried to go to school. She spoke out and started an international movement to promote education for girls. And she became the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.

4. PERSPECTIVE -- POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis lives humbly, helps the poor, encourages interfaith dialogue, and reforms outdated traditions. He brings a far more broad perspective to his role as a major religious leader than any of his predecessors and most of his peers.  

5. HONESTY -- LOUIS C.K.

Born Louis Székely, comedian Louis C.K. is hilarious, but he’s also brutally honest. His candor is highly regarded, as he often speaks openly about social, political, and religious issues in his stand-up routine and in interviews.

6. LOVE -- DALAI LAMA

The Dalai Lama is considered an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara, a major Buddhist “Bodhisattva,” (Sanskrit for an enlightened being,) who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. The Dalai Lama is defined by his boundless love for humanity.

7. HUMOR -- TINA FEY

Multi-award-winning comedian and actress Tina Fey’s leading character strength is her incredible sense of humor. She began her career at Chicago-based improvisational group The Second City, known as a hotbed for some of the funniest people on earth.

8. ENTHUSIASM -- ELLEN DEGENERES

Actress comedian Ellen DeGeneres is famous for her high level of enthusiasm. It shows all over her face, with her broad impish grin and the bright twinkle in her eyes. It shows in her dance moves. It shows in her interactions with others. And it shows as she embraces life. It’s actually quite infectious!

9. APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY -- YOKO ONO

"What is beauty? It's what you love." tweets Yoko Ono. The artist, musician, and widow of John Lennon has always been devoted to revealing beauty in everyday encounters and to promoting world peace.

10. KINDNESS -- MOTHER TERESA

Mother Teresa’s lifelong work with the poor in India. She earned a Nobel Peace Prize for her infinite kindness and was beatified as "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta,” a step towards becoming proclaimed as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.

Image: by Shelly Prevost. Batkid-44 Miles Scott. Miles Scott. Character  Strength: Optimism.

Read more about Beautiful Character, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including The Beauty of Character Now, Character Could be Our Most Beautiful Element Yet…, The Beautiful Character of Gin Now , Art & the Character of Neighborhoods and Celebrate the Beauty of Character Now and Celebrate the Beauty of Character Now. And be sure to check out the films and resources launched on Character Day 2015. #CharacterDay.

Image: by Virginia DeBolt. Gloria Steinem. Character Strength: Fairness.

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Image: by Babak Fakhamzadeh. 3 Heads Are Better Than 1: MYdiba. Nelson Mandela. Character  Strength: Forgiveness

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of The Jane Goodall Institute. Wounda's Journey. Dr. Jane Goodall & Wounda. Character Strength: Gratitude.
2. Image: Courtesy of Let It Ripple. Periodic Table of Character Strengths.
3. Image: Courtesy of The Jane Goodall Institute. Wounda's Journey. Dr. Jane Goodall & Wounda. Character Strength: Gratitude.
4. Image: by libby rosof. Painting, by Frida Kahlo. Me and My Parrots/Yo y mis pericos. Frida Kahlo. Character Strength: Creativity.
5. Image: by United Nations Photo. Education Advocate Malala Attends MDG Event. Malala Yousafzai. Character Strength: Love of Learning.
6. Image: by Jeffrey Bruno. Pope Francis. Character Strength: Perspective.
7. Image: by Flowizm …. Explaining. Louis CK Speaking at Just For Laughs in Montreal. Louis CK. Character Strength: Honesty.
8. Image: by kris krüg. The Dalai Lama @ The Vancouver Peace Summit. Dalai Lama. Character Strength: Love.
9. Image: by Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV. Tina Fey. Character Strength: Humor.
10. Image: by ronpaulrevolt2008. Ellen DeGeneres. Character Strength: Enthusiasm.
11. Image: by Greg Chow. Yoko Ono with the Flaming Lips. Yoko Ono. Character Strength: Appreciation of Beauty.
12. Image: by Manfredo Ferrari. Mother Teresa. Character Strength: Kindness.
13. Image: by Shelly Prevost. Batkid-44 Miles Scott. Miles Scott. Character Strength: Optimism.
14. Image: by Virginia DeBolt. Gloria Steinem. Character Strength: Fairness.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Babak Fakhamzadeh. 3 Heads Are Better Than 1: MYdiba. Nelson Mandela. Character  Strength: Forgiveness.