Last month, in Part 1 of a Journey to Self-Regulation, the focus was on the influence of character on behavior, how people develop habits that help them control their urges. However, there is another interesting way to look at self-regulation that addresses the power of the environment, regardless of how virtuous a person might be.

Aristotle claimed that a virtue or strength is developed through action: “Brave people became brave by doing brave things.” He said there were six states of character development: brutishness, self-indulgence, weakness of will or caving into temptation, strength of will or mastering temptation, character excellence, and heroic excellence.

Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman defined character strengths as the pathways to the virtues valued by moral philosophers and religious thinkers over time. Character strengths are manifested in our thoughts, our emotions, and our behavior. Building from this structure, here are ten principles emerging from the science of character.

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Despite the research, very few people ever make a meditative practice part of their daily lives. The most commonly offered excuse is lack of time. I’d like to offer a solution to time constraints. You can combine a meditative practice with another powerful positive psychology intervention – exercise. At first glance you might think that I’m crazy. Surely you have to be in a quiet room to meditate – not a smelly noisy gym.

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