(Source file photo)
STT: Thursday, Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Victor’s Hideout
STX: Friday, Aug. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Roof Top at King Christian Hotel
WHO: Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett
WHAT: Congresswoman Plaskett and staff will host a breakfast on St. Thomas and St. Croix for the community to attend and connect. The Congresswoman will share her vision for the 119th Congress for the community to learn about legislative priorities and how our office can help navigate federal agencies.
RSVP: alayah.phipps@mail.house.gov
Justin Mario Hazel
Justin Mario Hazel
July 8, 1972 – July 18, 2025
Mother: Rose Marie Petersen Edinborough (Deceased)
Sisters: Rosalyn Jarvis and Shareefa Hedrington
Brothers: Joseph Hazel, Norman Hazel (Deceased), Paul Hazel
Children: Ashia, Ashaki, Ajilelah, Juleesha, Dahleeki, Kerise, Kelise, Jushan’I, Jusan’I Hazel, Ja’qunique Joseph and Jassanie Joseph
The funeral will be held Saturday, Aug. 16. Viewing will begin at 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Service starts at 10 a.m.at Turnbull funeral home.
Internment: Private
Professional service entrusted by Turnbull’s Funeral Home & Crematory Services.
This is a reminder about the weekend road closure from Pilgrim Terrace Bypass to Hospital Gade for the Emergency Feeder 13 Project on August 16-17, from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. This closure is necessary for WAPA’s contractor, Haugland VI, to install new composite poles and perform system upgrades for increased reliability.Please follow the following detours.
Northbound Traffic Head west on Norre Gade, turn right onto Rosen Gade, continue onto Fireburn Hill, then proceed to Pilgrim Terrace Bypass. Southbound Traffic from Pilgrim Terrace Bypass, turn right onto Fireburn Hill and continue onto Vester Gade. Thank you for your patience.
Celebrating our 75th episode on Fox/NBC! Women of Resilience conference organizer Janette Millin Young shares highlights from her recent event, while host Adisha Penn takes a look at the biggest headlines from the past week, including election reform at the Senate, movement with new school construction on St. John, and a judge’s order on St. Croix relating to the refinery’s 2021 oil spray incident. There’s always something new on Consider the Source!
Territorial Elections Board Chair Raymond Williams speaks to the dynamics between members (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)
After a tumultuous series of Elections Board meetings — the last two of which collapsed over a lack of quorum and repeated back-and-forth between members — senators pressed for answers Friday during a hearing of the Government Operations, Veterans Affairs, and Consumer Protection Committee.
Territorial Elections Board Chair Raymond Williams shared his perspective on what happened during last Thursday’s meeting, which he said was meant to discuss the bills before Friday’s Senate agenda as well as Act 8690 — the 2024 law that shifted many election-related responsibilities from the board to the supervisor of Elections, including personnel decisions, budget control, and operational oversight.
The session began with a motion to include virtual members from St. Thomas, which initially failed. “Because the business that is before us today was deemed so important, I allowed the reconsideration of the motion by members in person, which was approved,” Williams said. A roll call then recognized members in both districts, virtually and in person, with eight members physically present on St. Croix.
From there, “a series of motions were made to remove the item from the agenda, failed, reorder the agenda, failed. At some point there, because of the dynamics of being unable to collectively match our members and because of the continuous interjections and interruptions, several members got up and left, forcing that quorum to be broken — so the discussions weren’t held,” Williams said Friday.
Williams noted the board has been trying to deliberate on Act 8690 for some time, without success. “It is still my goal to convene the board real soon to do the people’s business,” he said.
However, last week, other board members challenged Williams’ fairness in scheduling board meetings — particularly after they said they requested a 2:30 p.m. time and, on the St. Thomas-St. John side, made clear they would not be able to attend in person. Elections Board Vice Chair Lawrence Boschulte, speaking to the Source, said the meeting was scheduled for 10 a.m. instead and argued that because the two districts are split evenly with seven members each, there’s no need for all of the St. Thomas-St. John contingent to travel to form a quorum, which he said undermines district representation. Board member Cleopatra Peter has also maintained that she has consistently championed a meeting to discuss Act 8690, but has met resistance from other members, including Williams.
“He’s not making the meetings accessible to the public,” Boschulte said last week. Williams countered during Friday’s hearing that the shift to in-person meetings was intended to improve accessibility, given ongoing sound issues with the board’s video conferencing system. He added that while virtual links are sent to members of the public, monitoring those sessions — especially when moving into executive session — has proved difficult.
The tensions within the board and the growing concern over the balance of power between the Elections Board and the supervisor of Elections set the stage for much of Friday’s legislative discussion as lawmakers considered two measures intended to clarify authority and responsibilities within the Elections System. “We’re meeting today to see if we can help, but I’m not here to be policing grown man and grown woman,” committee Chair Sen. Avery Lewis said.
Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes testified before senators Friday on bills aimed at clarifying authority within the Elections System. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)
The first, Bill No. 36-0071, sponsored by Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger, sought to amend Title 18 of the Virgin Islands Code to clearly define the role of the supervisor of Elections, establish qualifications for the position, and set parameters for hiring, discipline, and removal. It also aimed to affirm the supervisor’s administrative authority while ensuring the Board retains oversight — a step Francis Heyliger said was needed to address “ongoing confusion and disputes” about the law’s intent. She also noted that in this technological age, there must be better ways to police meetings to allow for virtual access, and urged board members to work together — especially since the public pays for their attendance.
The second measure, Bill No. 36-0073, proposed changes to ensure greater transparency in the Elections System’s operations, including requirements for timely public access to meeting agendas, minutes, and official decisions. Supporters said the bill would build public trust and accountability, while opponents warned it could create overlapping mandates that complicate operations.
Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes defended the current structure under Act 8690, saying it allows her office to effectively manage day-to-day operations while still operating under the Board’s policy oversight. She cautioned that further statutory changes could risk “rolling back progress” made since the 2020 election cycle. Democratic Party Chair Carol Burke countered that without clearer definitions of authority, disputes between the Supervisor and the Board would continue to disrupt the system’s work.
Despite extensive discussion, neither bill advanced out of committee, as Lewis said the testimony and debate underscored deep divisions that must be resolved before meaningful reforms can move forward.
In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
I have started reading “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” lately. Not because I have hit some crisis or because something fell apart in my life, but because I understand something about growth. It does not stop unless you choose to stop it. Too many people wait until they hit a wall before they start thinking about self-improvement. I do not want to wait for the wall. I want to keep building, refining, and stretching.
We talk about accountability all the time. It comes up in leadership meetings, in relationship conversations, in community discussions. But when we speak about accountability, we often keep the spotlight on other people. We look out the window and examine what they should be doing, how they should be living, and where they need to improve. We speak with confidence about how they missed the mark, but we do not speak with the same boldness when it comes to looking at ourselves.
One of the foundational pillars of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. That is the ability to recognize your emotions, your triggers, your habits, and your blind spots in real time. And let me tell you, that skill is not something you master once and put on the shelf. It takes intention, attention, and practice.
I made a post the other day about the importance of getting out of the window and into the mirror. That was not just a catchy line. That was the product of some honest reflection. The window represents the place where we spend too much time looking outward, measuring, comparing, and critiquing others. The mirror represents the place where the work really happens. The mirror forces you to confront the unfiltered truth about who you are and how you show up.
The window is easy. It allows you to stay busy pointing fingers. It gives you the illusion of control and superiority. You can talk about someone else’s choices all day without ever touching the discomfort of your own truth. But the mirror? The mirror is confrontational. It will not flatter you. It will not smooth over your contradictions. The mirror will show you where you are living out of alignment with your own values.
The mirror asks hard questions:
Why do you keep calling recklessness “living in the moment?”
Why are you still blaming others for boundaries you refuse to set?
Why do you expect patience from others but give none when it is your turn?
Self-awareness is not about shaming yourself. It is about clarity. It is about understanding that you cannot fix what you refuse to face. It is also about realizing that some of the patterns you are stuck in are not about other people at all. They are about your decisions, your mindsets, and your unwillingness to change them.
I started reading “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” not because I was broken, but because I know I can be better. The book reinforced something I already knew but needed to revisit: your EQ is not fixed. You can increase it. You can sharpen your ability to read yourself and others. You can improve your communication and your relationships. You can learn to navigate difficult situations with more grace and less emotional reactivity.
When you truly begin to understand yourself, you begin to understand how your actions ripple out into your relationships, your work, and your community. You realize that accountability is not just about admitting when you are wrong. It is about developing the awareness to recognize when you are headed in the wrong direction before you arrive there. It is about catching yourself in the moment instead of cleaning up after yourself later.
The danger of staying in the window is that you start mistaking your ability to see other people’s faults for wisdom. That is not wisdom. That is distraction. It takes no skill to criticize. It takes skill to correct yourself before someone else has to.
I have seen it in leadership, in friendships, and in family dynamics. The people who grow the most are not the ones who have the fewest mistakes. They are the ones who are quick to look in the mirror, own what they see, and do something about it. They do not run from the reflection. They face it head on because they understand that ignoring it will not make it disappear.
Self-awareness and accountability work together. One without the other leaves you incomplete. If you are self-aware but not accountable, you are simply a person who knows better but refuses to do better. If you are accountable without self-awareness, you will spend your life apologizing without understanding why you keep repeating the same behavior. But when you have both, you position yourself to grow in ways that are sustainable.
That is why I challenge myself to keep the mirror close. Reading this book has reminded me that emotional intelligence is a lifelong project. The version of me that is reading it today will not be the same version of me who picks it up again in five years. My experiences, my relationships, and my choices will shape the way I see myself. That is why it is worth returning to the mirror regularly.
So, this week, I am encouraging you to try it. Put the window down for a while. Not forever, but long enough to give the mirror your full attention. Ask yourself the questions you would rather avoid. Let the answers sit with you until they begin to push you toward change.
Growth begins when excuses end. And the mirror? The mirror does not lie.
Langley “Casual-Word” Shazor is a poet, author, publisher, entrepreneur, public speaking coach, podcast host, and pastor who is an advocate for youth and men. His goal is to enlighten, empower, and liberate those who are silenced, marginalized, and enslaved to self-destructive thoughts and behaviors. Visit thecasualword.com.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
A report detailing the extent of oil-spray damage to St. Croix homes has remained secret for years. (Shutterstock image)
Attorneys representing Crucians whose homes were sprayed with oil more than four years ago have asked a federal judge to consider sanctions against the company that studied the debacle but defied a court order to disclose the report, according to court records.
On May 16, U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile Henderson III ordered New York-based Sedgwick Claims Management Service to turn over their findings on the extent and severity of early-2021 damage to St. Croix homes from toxic sprays from the Limetree Bay refinery. Sedgwick, which had started their study in May 2021, did not surrender the evidence, claiming the Limetree Bay oil refinery entity that had hired the firm’s St. Croix office had not paid an outstanding $1.1 million invoice.
Judge Henderson ruled Friday that the invoice payment was between Sedgwick and its client, but the report was germane to suits against Limetree Bay associated companies by multiple St. Croix residents whose home cisterns were fouled by the refinery’s bungled restart attempt.
In a most recent court filing, attorneys for the St. Croix claimants said Sedgwick had plenty of time to disclose the until-now secret documents but willfully chose to flout the judge’s order. Sanctions against Sedgwick could include fines of $5,000 a day.
“Sedgwick blatantly ignored its obligations to comply with a valid court order. Sedgwick’s non-compliance was not inadvertent or due to mistake; it was an affirmative choice to defy the Court’s order,” attorneys for the oil-spray claimants wrote.
Sedgwick attorneys had argued that the deadline to disclose the document was the same as the deadline to appeal, meaning they were not afforded ample time to appeal.
Adding murk to the mire, the wife of Limetree attorney Robb Kuczynski confirmed Sunday she was a former Sedgwick employee. Amanda Kuczynski said she left her role as a general liability adjuster for Sedgwick in 2023 and had not worked on the Limetree contract or anything related to the oil spray incident. She said her departure from Sedgwick was unrelated to the Limetree case.
Sedgwick’s website lists just one current St. Croix employee.
Henderson imposed a new deadline in his ruling, giving Sedgwick until Aug. 18 to surrender the documents on the severity of the oil spray. In a twist, however, the plaintiffs were ordered to pay $25,000 to offset a portion of Sedgwick’s unpaid claim against Limetree.
Shortly after the early 2021 oil-release incidents, Limetree sought to both minimize the spray’s reach and emphasize the company’s response. In a June 2021 court filing, Jeffrey Charles, Limetree Terminal’s vice president and incident commander, said, “On or about May 12, 2021, an incident occurred at the Limetree facility in St Croix, USVI, which caused very small amounts of oil to disperse in certain areas downwind of Limetree.”
He said Sedgwick was hired the next day — the same day the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the refinery closed for 60 days.
And by June 10, “ … Limetree has washed over 700 cars arranged for thousands of roofs Cisterns, exterior walls, and other structures to be washed and has delivered over 16,000 cases of water to affected residents,” Charles said in a court filing.
Limetree would later argue delivering water to people with oily-cistern claims was too much of a financial burden. Several court rulings disagreed.
In September 2024, Limetree sought $44,000 from an oily-cistern claimant, successfully arguing that a law bringing the elderly man’s case to court quickly was unconstitutional.
The refinery encountered numerous problems during its brief restart in February 2021. It had been largely shuttered since 2012 by former owner Hovensa following several years of heavy losses. Hovensa declared bankruptcy in 2015. Limetree had hoped to take advantage of a brief period when sulfur regulations for maritime shipping fuel were changing. The refinery was originally slated to reopen before January 2020, but started its aborted run a year later. By then, worldwide shipping had slumped from the COVID pandemic.
With less than two weeks before the first day of school, the Virgin Islands Legislature’s Education and Workforce Development Committee has released its assessment of public school readiness following inspections of campuses across St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, according to press releases from the committee.
On July 28, legislators joined Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance officials on St. Thomas to review conditions at Charlotte Amalie High School, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, Edith Williams Alternative School, Lockhart K – 8, Joseph Sibilly Elementary and Annex, and Ulla Muller Elementary School. While some campuses reported visible progress — including freshly painted classrooms, resurfaced basketball courts, upgraded kitchen equipment, and improved technology access — several persistent issues remain unresolved, according to the press release.
Air conditioning failures, incomplete roofing projects, and recurring mold concerns were reported at multiple sites. Some classrooms and cafeterias are still without functioning cooling systems, and mold remediation in modular units and older buildings is incomplete. Contractor payment delays have stalled major projects at Edith Williams Alternative School and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, while staffing shortages persist in key academic areas such as science, math, Virgin Islands history, and English language arts. Custodial staff levels are also well below what administrators say is needed for adequate upkeep, the press release stated.
On St. Croix, a July 29 tour covered 10 campuses, including Claude O. Markoe Elementary, Eulalie Rivera K – 8, Ricardo Richards Elementary, Alfredo Andrews Elementary, Lew Muckle Elementary, Juanita Gardine K – 8, Pearl B. Larsen PreK – 8, John H. Woodson Jr. High, St. Croix Educational Complex High School, and St. Croix Central High School. Officials found many of the same concerns noted during a January 2025 district tour still unresolved, the release stated.
At John H. Woodson Jr. High School, mold remediation remains incomplete, with updated testing still pending. Alfredo Andrews Elementary reported kitchen readiness issues, including a leaking chill box, a nonfunctional milk cooler, and missing ceiling tiles. At the Educational Complex, FEMA-funded AC units have arrived but installation is ongoing, alongside electrical upgrades and roof patching. Safety hazards were noted at Juanita Gardine and Pearl B. Larsen, where condemned walkways, damaged restrooms, and unfinished roof repairs remain. No school in the district had completed a full deep cleaning at the time of inspection, the release stated.
In both districts, legislators stressed the need for timely contractor payments, stronger interagency coordination, and sustained oversight to prevent last-minute work from becoming the norm. “These walk-throughs are not about placing blame — they’re about getting answers and getting results,” said Sen. Kurt Vialet, committee chair. “We can’t keep patching problems two weeks before school opens. This is about long-term, sustainable improvements for our students and teachers.”
Vialet added that the committee will conduct follow-up walk-throughs during the opening week of school and continue pressing for both short-term fixes and long-term capital improvements. “The students of the Virgin Islands deserve better than a last-minute scramble,” he said. “They deserve classrooms that work.”
Bowie 12U won the 2025 Summer Madness Hoops Classic. (Photo by Lester Harvey)
The second annual Summer Madness Hoops Classic presented by MyIsland Ballers ended on Sunday at the Mark C. Marin Center on St. Thomas. The tournament featured teams from Bowie, Maryland, the British Virgin Islands, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. Fans were treated to three highly competitive championship games on the tournament’s final day.
Fresh off their upset of the second-seeded Positive Guidance, the now (1-2) Process 11U Team looked poised to secure their second major unexpected tournament victory of the day in the 11U Title Game against the undefeated team from Bowie, Maryland. The Process outplayed Bowie in the first half, taking a 17-13 lead into halftime. The lead grew to eight points when The Process started turning over the ball, and the team from Maryland capitalized, scoring 17 of their 31 second-half points on turnovers. Bowie captured the championship with a 44-31 win. Ryan Tay was a man among boys, recording 22 points, 25 rebounds, and five blocks for Bowie. Regan Wells scored 8 points, snagged 19 rebounds, and swatted four blocks in a losing effort. Teammates Makai Hodge and Shemar Thomas added seven points each for The Process.
Bowie’s 14U Howard Hill, Orange Jersey, takes the shot over The Process, Mason Gardner, in the 14U Championship Game. (Photo by Lester Harvey)
In the most exciting game of the day, Guidance 12U dialed up the pressure with its full-court press, causing the undefeated Bowie 12U team to cough up the ball 33 times. Maryland composed itself, nursing a five-point lead at halftime. The lead ballooned to 12 points early in the second half, but Guidance came all the way back to tie the score at 45 with seconds left on the game clock. Guidance had the ball with under 30 seconds to go in the game. However, Andy Lewis stole the ball and scored two of his game-high 18 points, securing the title for Bowie, 47-45. Landon Robb also had an outstanding game for the team from Maryland, dropping 14 points. Nemecio Camacho was the top performer for Guidance, scoring 14 points, collecting six boards, and stealing five balls.
Positive Guidance 12U Team finished second at the 2025 Summer Madness Hoops Classic. (Photo by Lester Harvey)
The 14U team from Bowie, Maryland, looked impressive in all their pool play games, winning by double digits all weekend long. The Process 14U team came into this game hungry to score the upset. Just having survived a nail-biting victory over the Sports Vision Academy Team from Tortola, The Process kept the game within reach, only down five midway through the game. The lead grew to 15 points midway through the final frame. The coach from Bowie proceeded to pull most of his starters, and The Process went on a 15-5 run, inching to within five points of the lead. Bowie’s starters returned, and they walked away with a 69-60 victory. Howard Hill scored 29 for Bowie. Zedane Burke was The Process’s top performer with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Mason Gardner and Malik Hodge Jr. also contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively, for The Process.
The Process 11U Team finished second at the 2025 Summer Madness Hoops Classic. (Photo by Lester Harvey).
President of MyIsland Ballers, Maurice Wells, and Vice President and Tournament Director Jeffrey Jones were both pleased with the outcome of the tournament, praising their fantastic support staff for making the success of this event. “We were able to get through a successful tournament from day one to day three,” said Wells. “MyIsland team is a solid team.”
Jones loved that the games ran on time, and with the help of the MyIsland Ballers support staff, the logistics of the tournament ran smoothly.
Championship Trophy and rings for each player of the winning teams of the 2025 Summer Madness Hoops Classic. (Source photo by Mark Daniel)
One of the concerns many local coaches shared was the age of the out-of-territory players. This will not be an issue moving forward. “To protect the integrity of the event and the organization, every team will have to register with USSSA in order to participate in the future.” Well explained. “We would like to make this a Caribbean regional championship with the winner earning a spot in the USSSA National Championship Tournament.”
MyIsland Ballers is the Caribbean representative of the United States Specialty Sports Association basketball division. All teams will have to register with the program, ensuring all participants are the correct age.
MyIsland Ballers will also introduce a female division next year. The girls will play from Monday to Wednesday. The boys will compete from Friday to Sunday.
MyIsland Ballers expressed their appreciation to the following tournament supporters:
The Education Department
The Virgin Islands Lottery
The Sports, Parks, and Recreation Department
Marriott Vacation Club
One Communication
Merchant Commercial Bank
Alliance Point Charters
Antilles School
Vividstreaming
Family Redemption Foundation
Haugland Group
Qyteventful
Caribbean USSSA Basketball
Virtue of the Week – Openness
Virtue of the Week focuses on building peaceful and caring communities through understanding and fostering the practice of virtues. The Source supports the Virtues Project and will publish one virtue developed by the project each week.
OpennessQuote: “To open deeply – as genuine spiritual life requires – we need tremendous courage and strength. A kind of warrior spirit.” —Jack Kornfield
The Practice of Openness
I am honest and transparent.
I am direct and candid in sharing my perspective.
I appreciate new ideas and possibilities.
I have no hidden motives.
I care about the views and feelings of others.
I am willing to receive life’s bounties.
Questions for Discussion
What do we need in our community to honor openness?
Is there any compassionate curiosity that can guide our social justice work?
What innovative ideas can we consider as we strengthen our social justice work?
How can openness strengthen our community
Sign up to receive the Virtue of the Week by email!
Visit https://cfvi.net/Virtues-Project, and scroll to the end of the page to fill out the form.
Virtue of the Week is provided by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) in partnership with the VI Source and Virtues Matter.About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
Since 1990, CFVI has been a catalyst for positive change in the territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit cfvi.net.
About Virtues Matter
Virtues Matter was started by a passionate wife-husband team of social entrepreneurs seeking to positively uplift as many lives as possible. We aim to inspire and empower, to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and help everyone lead lives of passion and purpose.
Virtues Matter believes in a world where people are committed to kindness and respect, strive to be their best, and live with hope, courage, and in unity. We built the Virtues Cards mobile app, an interactive personal and team development tool, to help people identify and develop key virtues skills. We also offer dynamic workshops, online training, and customized programs to help people cultivate these positive qualities of character. To learn more, visit virtuesmatter.com.
To learn more about the Virtues Project, visit virtuesproject.com.
In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
I have started reading “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” lately. Not because I have hit some crisis or because something fell apart in my life, but because I understand something about growth. It does not stop unless you choose to stop it. Too many people wait until they hit a wall before they start thinking about self-improvement. I do not want to wait for the wall. I want to keep building, refining, and stretching.
We talk about accountability all the time. It comes up in leadership meetings, in relationship conversations, in community discussions. But when we speak about accountability, we often keep the spotlight on other people. We look out the window and examine what they should be doing, how they should be living, and where they need to improve. We speak with confidence about how they missed the mark, but we do not speak with the same boldness when it comes to looking at ourselves.
One of the foundational pillars of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. That is the ability to recognize your emotions, your triggers, your habits, and your blind spots in real time. And let me tell you, that skill is not something you master once and put on the shelf. It takes intention, attention, and practice.
I made a post the other day about the importance of getting out of the window and into the mirror. That was not just a catchy line. That was the product of some honest reflection. The window represents the place where we spend too much time looking outward, measuring, comparing, and critiquing others. The mirror represents the place where the work really happens. The mirror forces you to confront the unfiltered truth about who you are and how you show up.
The window is easy. It allows you to stay busy pointing fingers. It gives you the illusion of control and superiority. You can talk about someone else’s choices all day without ever touching the discomfort of your own truth. But the mirror? The mirror is confrontational. It will not flatter you. It will not smooth over your contradictions. The mirror will show you where you are living out of alignment with your own values.
The mirror asks hard questions:
Virtue of the Week – Openness
Virtue of the Week focuses on building peaceful and caring communities through understanding and fostering the practice of virtues. The Source supports the Virtues Project and will publish one virtue developed by the project each week.
Openness
Quote: “To open deeply – as genuine spiritual life requires – we need tremendous courage and strength. A kind of warrior spirit.” —Jack Kornfield
The Practice of Openness
I am honest and transparent.
I am direct and candid in sharing my perspective.
I appreciate new ideas and possibilities.
I have no hidden motives.
I care about the views and feelings of others.
I am willing to receive life’s bounties.
Questions for Discussion
About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
Since 1990, CFVI has been a catalyst for positive change in the territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit cfvi.net.
About Virtues Matter
Virtues Matter was started by a passionate wife-husband team of social entrepreneurs seeking to positively uplift as many lives as possible. We aim to inspire and empower, to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and help everyone lead lives of passion and purpose.
Virtues Matter believes in a world where people are committed to kindness and respect, strive to be their best, and live with hope, courage, and in unity. We built the Virtues Cards mobile app, an interactive personal and team development tool, to help people identify and develop key virtues skills. We also offer dynamic workshops, online training, and customized programs to help people cultivate these positive qualities of character. To learn more, visit virtuesmatter.com.
To learn more about the Virtues Project, visit virtuesproject.com. 
