This Is Our Story offers a daily value on its home page. It is a Humanist liturgical calendar without days of obligation. This calendar, like everything else here, is an invitation. I have enjoyed following it for several years, to remind myself of core values in sequence, in keeping with the seasonal nature of life. So as you look at the calendar presented below, with explanations of the seasonal dividing lines, consider how it tracks the seasons of the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere. You can follow the link to each value from its corresponding calendar entry.

Throughout much of the year the calendar follows a format that opens with the global value on Sunday, followed by the corresponding thought, emotion, action, value, conviction and attitude on Monday through Saturday, in that order. Not all weeks follow this formula. In the first week, for example, such an ordering would be completely at odds with the values for the respective dates. That is because we begin by exploring the development of the human mind through its evolutionary predicates. The first characteristic to develop in living things is action: bacteria and ants are action machines. The evolutionary sequence thereafter, in order, is sensation, emotion, then thought. This corresponds with the development of the human brain, with the brain stem (seat of action drives) at the bottom, the midbrain (seat of emotion) in the middle, and our marvelous cerebral cortex, which develops last, at the outer layers. When we begin exploring ethical development in week 5, the order (Global on Sunday to Attitude on Saturday) begins to make sense. The calendar below spells out where this order applies and, by silence, where it does not.

I have also tried to state each value as a verb, in keeping with the idea that we are the ones living these lives, so that ethical commitments and practices, and spiritual living are for us to develop and practice. This is our human story, which we can see as an invitation to a dance. The living is up to us.

SEASON 1: DORMANCY

Weeks 1-3: Foundations, a universal commitment to the worth of all people. This consists of the universal principle of Human Worth (the life experience that we have in common) in week 1, its universal application in week 2, and the resulting conception Justice attained by the marriage of the first two. With an unwavering commitment to the worth and dignity of all people, we can arrive at an enduring conception of justice.

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Human Worth	Life	Action	Sensation	Emotion	Thought	Life As an Invitation
Universal Inclusion	Cultural Inclusion	Racial and Ethnic Inclusion	Gender Inclusion	Inclusion of All Ages and Classes	Inclusion Regardless of Lifestyles and Opinions	Including All Beings
Justice	Conscience	Being Objective and Realistic	Sharing	Ideals	Civil Rights	Rights of Being

Week 4: But what has gone wrong? In the dark of winter, we assess the dark side of our condition

Suffering

The Material World; The Physical Body

Separation and Alienation

Powerlessness

Mortality

Ego – Selfishness

Evil

Weeks 5-7: How can we emerge from the darkness? In mid-winter, we consider predicates to development, similar to the latent phase of perennial plants that lie dormant within the Earth. This is the “do-no-harm,” “thou-shalt-not” stage of ethical development, characterized by the distinction between evil and not evil. It is indispensable but only the barest of a beginning.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUES	CONVICTIONS	ATTITUDES
Being Humble	Being Modest	Being Skeptical, Entertaining Doubt: Being Intellectually Humble	Forbearing	Being Patient	Living in Equanimity	Being Mindful
Avoiding Harm	Being Non-malevolent	Acknowledging the Humanity of Others	Restraining Self	Being Fair	Seeing and Finding Common Ground	Tolerating
Engaging the World	Being Willing	Being Rational	Trying – Making an Effort	Forming Intention – Making Commitments	Conceiving – Having Ideas	Executing – Keeping Commitments

Week 8: An awakening of sorts: we could say that all ethics and all religion is about order. That is one way of looking at it, among many, utterly true and complete in theory, yet incomplete as we humans are inclined to see these things. This week explores the principle of order, which marks the beginning of positive ethics.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUES	CONVICTIONS	ATTITUDES
Living in Good Order	Being Selfless	Concentrating	Habits and Practices	Being Stable and Constant	Living in Discipline, Self-control and Self-regulation	Civilization

SEASON 2: SOWING

Weeks 9 and 10: Desire, preferences and the human will. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Preferences – Desire	Health	Satisfaction	Pleasure	Longevity	Happiness	Fulfillment
Autonomy	Will	Planning	Choosing	Liberating	Freedom	Zest, the Spice of Life: Opening to Horizons

Weeks 11-13: Life opens to the light. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Journeying – Venturing	Being in Awe	Wondering	Exploring	Narratives	Risking, Challenging	Evolution
Renewal	Being Curious	Being Inquisitive: Seeking Knowledge – Pursuing the Religious Quest	Investigating –Experimenting	Beginning – Ending; Growing – Declining	Arriving – Leaving; Stimulating – Leaving Alone; Holding On – Letting Go	Redeeming
Hoping	Being Cheerful	Developing Dreams and Goals	Being Resolute	Keeping Eyes on the Prize	Resilience	Being Optimistic

Weeks 14-16: As the infant becomes a young child, she becomes aware of herself. This is the beginning of the progressive development of Self-Worth. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Cultivating and Nurturing Self-Worth	Comforting	Guiding	Protecting	Nurturing	Supporting	Cultivating and Nurturing Self-esteem
Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Self-awareness	Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Self-respect	Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Self-understanding	Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Self-discovery	Supporting and Practicing Learning, Teaching and Education	Analyzing and Synthesizing	Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Self-confidence
Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Independence	Latitude	Encouraging	Progressing by Accomplishing	Grace, Talent, Bounty, Intellect, Disposition	Agency	Developing, Encouraging and Promoting Self-competence

SEASON 3: GROWTH

Week 17: This week is an eye to the future.

Future

Appreciating Nature

Chronicling Nature

Preserving and Stewarding Nature

Diversity

Sustainability

Children

Week 18: How can we progress ethically and spiritually? The question is “HOW?” The answer, by happy coincidence, is “Honesty, Openness and Willingness”: HOW. However, as we have seen,  willingness occurs at an early stage of development, in week 7. The order of development is Willingness, Honesty, Openness: WHO. We must answer the question. Ethics, morality, spirituality and religion are up to us.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Being Honest	Being Sincere	Being Intellectually Honest	Being Principled	Being Forthright	Pushing Through Your Resistance	Being Scrupulous, Yet Flexible

Weeks 19-20: This is the journeyman’s (level two) stage of ethical development: obligation and duty, characterized by the distinction between good and merely not-evil.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUE	CONVICTION	ATTITUDE
Meeting Obligations in the World	Being Interested	Reasoning	Working	Being Prudent and Cautious	Being Attentive	Being Competent
Fulfilling Duty toward Others	Being Empathetic	Respecting People	Observing	Understanding	Being Responsible	Being Good and Decent

Weeks 21-23: In these weeks we flesh out what it means to be good and do good. At this stage, we come more fully into the integrated spiritual self. Week 22 is the week of obstacles and opportunities: every thought, emotion, action, etc., is both.

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Awakening	Cultivating Insights	Making Distinctions	Being Incisive	Novelty	Symbolic Thinking; Abstract Reasoning	Blossoming – Expanding Horizons – Extending Reach
Thinking, Feeling, Acting	Values and Expectations	Beliefs and Convictions	Habits and Attitudes	Physical Systems	Environment	Experiences and Identity
Individuality	Mutuality-Cooperation	Society – Companionship – Togetherness	Solitude	Tradition	Family	Living in Community and Fellowship

SEASON 4: RIPENING

Weeks 24-26: Excellence refers to the distinction between good and best. It can refer to an individual’s best or to a state of excellence relative to the community, to which we can aspire as we develop. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUE	CONVICTION	ATTITUDE
Honoring Worth	Honoring Value	Honoring Uniqueness	Admiring	Being Considerate	Reward	Eliciting the Best
Being Proficient – Excelling	Being Fully Involved	Being Intellectually Excellent	Taking Initiative – Making a Difference	Being Versatile	Exhibiting Facility	Being Diligent and Meticulous
Being Kind	Caring and Being Compassionate	Appreciating People	Being Present	Being Reliable	Affirming	Being Generous

Week 27: As noted earlier, openness is the final stage in the process of unblocking the obstacles to dignity.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Being Open	Being Open-hearted	Being Open-minded	Welcoming – Assisting – Offering (Open Hands)	Being Ready and Adaptable	Communicating: Listening and Discussing	Living in Dignity

Weeks 28-31: The fourth stage in development is the level-four stage of transcendence. This refers to transcending previously understood boundaries, as Beethoven’s music transcended previous music and Einstein’s science transcended all science to that time. There are also personal moments of transcendence, which occur when we discover possibilities we had not previously seen. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUE	CONVICTION	ATTITUDE
Transcending	Being Avid	Genius	Being Dedicated	Being Precise	Being Comprehensive	Praxis
Being Wise	Being Subtle	Exercising Sound Judgment and Discretion	Being Deeply Perceptive	Being Witty	Being Clear	Displaying Vision
Agape	Transcending Tribalism	Transcending Kinship	Servng	Standing Up	Letting Go	Cherishing
Displaying Courage	Being Altruistic	Intervening	Being Brave	Thinking Critically	Being Imperturbable	Being Heroic

Week 32: As social creatures, we are ethically obligated to be publicly involved.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Displaying Citizenship	Being Public-spirited	Being Informed and Socially Aware	Being Publicly Involved through Activism	Opposing Injustice	Being a World Citizen	Democracy – Self-government

SEASON 5: HOUSEKEEPING and INTERLUDE

Weeks 33-34: These weeks address steps toward personal integration.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Being Grounded	Cultivating Mental Health	Using Scientific Methods	Being Physically Fit	Acting to Alleviate Suffering	Acting with Urgency	Being Well-Rounded and Eclectic
Being Assertive	Being Motivated and Driven	Advocating	Being Vigilant	Persevering – Being Tenacious	Being Determined	Displaying Grit

Week 35: This is a week of respite. Everyone needs time to step back, relax and reflect.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Restoring the Self	Being Calm	Reflecting – Contemplating	Resting	Being in Reverie	Going on Retreat	Playing – Being Playful

SEASON 6: FULFILLMENT

Week 36: We have reached the stage of creativity, when we offer our contribution to personal and community life. This week’s calendar addresses creativity in the physical world.

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Being Creative	Being Enthusiastic	Imagining	Being Resourceful and Innovative	Taking Inspiration	Being Spontaneous	Being Original and Unconventional

Weeks 37-39: In these weeks, we explore the creative forces in human relations: the Truth of our common humanity (the intellectual component), Love (the emotional component) and Faith (the action component).

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Seeing the Truth	Using Intuition and Common Sense	Recognizing Revealed Truth, from Within	Accepting Others	Being Gentle	Being Sensitive	Keeping Life Simple
Loving	Being Passionate	Having Regard	Being Solicitous	Intimacy	Living in Harmony	Being Peaceful
Living Faithfully	Trusting	Being Confident	Relying	Keeping Fidelity	Overcoming Doubt	Working Miracles

Week 40: Through the creative forces we can be reborn. When this occurs, the world usually seems fresh, new and alive. We have attained a state of vitality and creativity that we had not thought possible.

Being Reborn

Knowing the Soul

Meditating

Transcending Ego

Living in Flow

Living Spiritually

Living in Exuberance, Glory and Ecstasy

SEASON 7: ASSESSING

Week 41: Once reborn, we can return home with new eyes and a new heart. This is a week for homecoming (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION
Home and Our Debt to the Past	Taking Comfort from Home	Reconsidering	Reuniting – Reconciling – Reclaiming	Taking Pride	Healing	Embracing the Past

Weeks 42-44: In these weeks, we consider the elements of Spirituality: a sense of intense vitality, and integration within and without.

Living with Vitality	Being Joyful	Appreciating Humor	Living with Verve and Energy	Amore	Appreciating Beauty and the Arts	Re-creating
Being Self-actualized	Being Mature	Confronting, Being Introspective	Being Authentic	Purifying	Unifying	Living with Integrity and Character, in the Wholeness of Being
Having a Sense of Connectedness	Belonging; Cultivating Friendships	Consilience	Being Devoted	Paying It Forward	Being at One with All	Living in Reverence and Natural Piety

Weeks 45-46: A tremendous satisfaction is now present. We have attained a state of maturity. You may notice that at this stage in our spiritual/life journey, many of the values are now presented as nouns instead of verbs, because the value has been mastered, so that we turn our focus a bit to the shared value, which empowers us all, together.

Empowering	Unity – Cohesion	Organization	Being Vigorous	Being Rigorous	Endurance	Strength
Equality	Equal Opportunity – Opportunity in Fact – Economic Justice	Equal Rights and Protection of Law	Political Equality	Temperance – Balance – Symmetry –  Proportion	Freedom of Expression	Negotiations and Other Interactions

SEASON 8: HARVEST and CELEBRATION

Week 47: We have transcended the idea of happiness found in week 9. We have attained well-being and are flourishing. This is our personal reward for spiritual growth.

Flourishing

Living in Positive Emotion

Finding and Having Meaning in Life

Being Fully Engaged

Being Grateful

Having and Nurturing Healthy Relationships

Success: Living a Life of Achievement

Weeks 48-50: Now we can assess the product of our labors as we put the finishing touches on spirituality. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence. Week 49 appears on the calendar once every five or six years, only when the year has 53 Sundays.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUE	CONVICTION	ATTITUDE
Focusing	Cycles – Seasons	Being in the Here and Now	Evanescence – Impermanence	Pacing	Seeing and Approaching Things from Many Perspectives	Living in Eternity’s Sunrise
Being an Agent for Change	Discontent	Being Aware of Things As They Are	Being an Agent for Revolution	Appreciating and Embracing Complexity	Dissenting – Challenging Conventions	Appreciating the Tapestry of Life
Finding and Occupying Your Niche	Making and Keeping Sacred Vows	Knowing Self	Being Faithful to Commitments	Being Decisive	Being and Setting a Good Example; Being a Role Model and Mentor	Leading – Being a Leader

Weeks 51-52: We explore what we Humanists mean by the Sacred. (The italicized entries do not correspond to the Global-Attitude sequence.)

GLOBAL	EMOTION	THOUGHT	ACTION	VALUE	CONVICTION	ATTITUDE
Surrendering – Accepting the Things We Cannot Change	Embracing Life	Forgiving	Contentment	Seeking Enlightenment; Being Enlightened	Being Serene	Savoring the Moment
Living a Sacred Life	Living with Meaning	Living with Good Direction	Living Purposefully	Ineffability	Living a Sacred Calling	Living Religiously

Week 53: In this final week of the year, we celebrate, take stock and prepare for the cycle to renew.