Test The Waters of Virtues & Values

One of our latest designs has people diving in to think about themselves and others in new ways. Virtues & Values Thumball™ is a unique experiment in self reflection and personal growth.

Initially counselors were the most excited about a Thumball covered in personal attributes. It is a non threatening way to encourage players to honestly evaluate whether they possess specific characteristics. Are you mature? Insightful? Organized? If yes, tell us how it serves you. If no, tell us if it is a problem.

Now teachers of every age, employee trainers, rehab facilitators, older adults and Boy/ Girl Scouts are appreciating the valuable lessons Virtues & Values Thumball™ provides. Each panel has 3 words beginning with the same letter and can be used to discuss yourself, another or a famous celebrity or leader.

I caught Thumball and found these 3 words under my thumb: S = Spiritual – Strong – Sweet. I am sincere in my spirituality and live it daily, I am not always as strong as I want to be physically or emotionally but darn I am sweet to others through compliments and care. I look for strength in others to inspire my goal of being a strong women, partner and parent.

Let's face it Brittany Spears was not exactly Responsible this past year and Wall Street giants were not Visionary, ultimately leading us into this financial challenge. If all goes well however Brittany will rise to the occasion and become Balanced and Dignified. The committee for repair of the economy showed they are Industrious working through the past weekend and we hope will be Victorious.

Virtues and Values Thumball™ shows us how to turn challenges into triumphs. It reminds us that we all have strengths and weaknesses regardless of age, education, geography or race. Take the plunge and explore yourself as the Empowered Person you know yourself to be and make a splash.

Thumball Goes To College

Thumball is making waves on campuses and with co-eds. At first they arrive on the scene and get casually investigated. Then they are used for juggling or extreme catch.

Eventually however the players read and think about what's on them and begin to play with interest. Then the fun starts and everyone is clamoring for more Thumball.

Icebreaker, Who Are You? and Meet & Greet Thumball are perfect for orientation and social events to get students interacting and feeling less awkward.

Emotion Mania and Move Your Body Thumball get grabbed up by drama departments and PE classes. Act out feelings, exaggerate movements and learn about body language. You couldn't refrain from laughing if you wanted to.

Category Mania Thumball can get competitive and surprises everyone by how challenging it can be to name things in categories quickly and accurately. Name as many flowers or birds or noisy things as you can and just try not to stammer.

Virtues and Values Thumball really inspires personal thought and reflection. Three attributes are revealed under your thumb and you decide if you have them, if you observe them in others or if you would like to have them. This activity changes with age and is appreciated by families, counselors and coworkers.

Catch Peace Thumball inspires students to learn more about world geography, languages and cultures. Find on the map the countries that speak Malay or Persian. Enjoy trying to pronounce the word peace in them too.

We are pleased to see Thumball's reach expand and whether they are used for learning and communicating or juggling and radical acts of catch it brings people together. That is our ultimate goal to come together and recognize our similarities and differences without the need for judgement.

Can a ball do that? We say "Yes". Now we just need to get the warring factions on our planet to play catch and maybe they will come together too.

List Your Virtues and Values

If put on the spot what virtues would you say you admire and/or possess? What values guide you through life? This was harder to do than I expected. There are so many directions to go. Initially my mind went to serious virtues ( discipline, strength, humility) until I realized that sense of humor is very important to me.

Virtues can be fun like creativity, friendliness, enthusiasm. I think I have those and I am proud of that. They don't always help me "get things done" in the traditional ways so I have shied away from owning them as my own. I've decided to get over that. I encourage all of us to truly embrace who we are with each characteristic honored not judged as good or bad.

Values are trickier. Again there is a tendency to get overly serious. But values are the guidance system for how we live. Love is my primary value and I send my loving thoughts out to all I know and the world at large. Truth is indispensible but truth within ourselves as well as speaking truth to others.

Our latest and greatest Thumball design was created with this exercise in mind. It challenges you to consider the three words on each panel and determine which ones you have, would like to have or that you see in another person. It creates stimulating dialog, surprising interactions and true moments of self reflection. Yet it is accomplished through a game of catch with a playful attitude. I think that is what makes it work so well. It can be enjoyed at home, in school, during rehab or at work.

An attribute I continue to develop is my ability to laugh at myself and resist the seriousness I lean toward. I don't know when exactly that happened but I know from this moment on I will go for the lighter side of life and bless this world and myself with an attitude of love and acceptance. That is a value, a virtue and a victory for me. Wanna play?