The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 30 November 11th - It's Not The Thing, It's What We Make Of It "When you are distressed by an external thing, it's not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your judgement of it. And you can wipe this out at a moments notice." -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.47 Excerpts from Author: "Franklin Delano Roosevelt, now widely regarded as one of America's greatest political leaders was, in middle age, diagnosed with polio after spending years preparing for and dreaming about the presidency. It's impossible to understand FDR without understanding this disability. The "external thing" was that he was crippled - this was a literal fact - but his judgement of it was that it did not cripple his career or his personhood. Though he was certainly the victim of a then incurable disease, he wiped away - almost immediately - the victim's mentality. Let's not confuse acceptance with passivity." I've talked about external factors, and most people describe them as 'happening to them'. In this case I would admit polio happened upon FDR, but most things that can be described as negative, which may be allowed to affect ones outlook on life, or to sully their day, doesn't 'happen to them'. It happens, and we take it on board, and allow it to affect us, rather than let it be an outside factor that does not have to sour us. Things happen, and our opinion of it is all that we can control, it's all that we have. Why would you bemoan, constantly, things that feel like setbacks, incidents that cost or waste time, when we could rather use our energy to strive onwards, look at the bigger picture, see it for a tiny blip that likely won't matter in a day, month, 5 years. Tying this into another aspect of the universe - 'where thoughts go, energy flows.' What you focus on, you attract, and over-thinking, worrying, or complaining about certain things that are happening doesn't make your situation any better - you may just appear as a victim - and in many cases, worrying is just putting yourself though an impending horrible situation twice. Why would you do that to yourself? I had a housemate who would get very serious when I described myself or someone else as "Happy-go-lucky", because it's such a rare attribute to a person, and that it's not a term to 'throw around' as it were. But I really think that people who can differentiate themselves from the things happening, and focusing on the silver lining, or considering everything to be a real gift for growth, to be exactly this kind of person. I even consider myself to be somewhat happy-go-lucky. Many things tend to work out for me, theres no resistance, opportunities pop up and sometimes I'm wise enough to recognise them.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 29 November 10th - Always the Same "Think by way of example on the times of Vespasian, and you'll see all these things: marrying, raising children, falling ill, dying, wars, holiday feasts, commerce, farming, flattering, pretending, suspecting, scheming, praying that others die, grumbling over one's lot, falling in love, amassing fortunes, lusting after office and power. Now that life of their is dead and gone ... the times of Trajan, again the same..." -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.32 From the Author: "Ernest Hemingway opens his book 'The Sun Also Rises' with a Bible vers: 'One generation passeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever. the sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and resth to the place where he arose.' One of the striking things about history is just how long human being have been doing what they do. Though certain attitudes and practices have come and gone, what's left are people - living, dying, loving, fighting, crying, laughing. Breathless media reports or popular books often perpetuate the belief that we've reached the apex of humanity, or that this time, things really are different. The irony is that people have believed that for centuries. Strong people resist this notion. They know that with a few exceptions, things are they same as they've always been and always will be. You're just like the people who came before you, and you're but a brief stopover until the people just like you who will come after. The earth abides forever, but we will come and go." The only things that really change are the extremes, and names - or 'spins' - on already existing practices, goods, or attitudes. It may seem like degeneration to many, much of it does to me. Extremes in technology, and commodification of attention spans, may be an exception, but what our ancestors did and what we do are not all that much different. We all want the best for ourselves and those around us, and the ways we go about this - working, producing, creating, caring for, supporting, providing for our loved - aren't new. There's nothing new under the sun. But things are spun like propaganda, once peaceful entities are spun to be enemies, poisons and toxins are spun as foods and medicines, every aspect of our health is outsourced and we're relieved of our self-responsibility, we've lost trust in the institutions that don't trust us with our autonomy - banking, policing, health, and everything becoming more and more extreme in the opposite direction, but it's always been this way, perhaps? A lot of all these things come by the control of our attention spans, because if we weren't distracted by the cavlcade of talking heads, 7 second long videos, and the struggles of food and living security, we'd all probably see that soyslop is not food, pills are not medicine, our money is debased, we're restricted in basically everything in our lives, and have to ask permission if we wish to do anything, and that we're being lied to. But it's always been like that, right? It's just the extremes that these things have been taken to. The best we can do is make the best of the positive "sames" that our ancestors did, and to instill those thoughts and beliefs into our children and hope they can do the same. (And also end the Fed, end the state, end the control structures and take back our sovereignty and autonomy.) Little bit of a rant on this one - thanks for reading.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 28 November 9th - All is Fluid "The universe is change. Life is opinion" -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.3.4b From the Author: "Our understanding of what is something 'is' is just a snapshot - an ephemeral opinion. The universe is in a constant state of change. Our nails grown and are cut and keep growing. New skin replaces dead skin. Old memories are replaced by new memories. Are we still the same people? Are the people around us the same? Nothing is exempt from this fluidity, not even the things we hold most sacred." The author mentions the Ship of Theseus - the Athenian hero - which was preserved by the people of Athens in battle-ready condition for many centuries by replacing rotting boards until every stick of wood had been replaced. Plutarch asks: "Is it still the ship of Theseus, or is it a new one?" The same in Japan, the famous Shinto Shrine is rebuilt every twenty-three years. Is it one 1,400 year old shrine? or sixty consecutive shrines? As time marches on, we pick up new habits, new opinions, new learnings, new beliefs, and fresh outlooks on the life we and those around us lead. Everything is in a constant state of change, sometimes seemingly in regression. But everything moves ephemerally forwards. The nature of the universe, the expression of communities, even to ones mind, is in a constant state of movement, entropic change. It's inescapable, yet we can direct it, at least as much of it that is in our control - our thoughts and actions. We can go deep into thought and question why certain patterns arise and nudge beliefs, especially those of self determination, or self defeat - or believing that you can't do something, towards those that will push you to strive, without struggle against the tides. We are currently at the precipice of the start of a huge change that will forever impact the landscape of humanity, incentivising man and woman to find their true nature and embracing it. To become more aligned. Godspeed.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 27 November 8th - Actors in a Play "Remember that you are an actorin a play, playing a character according to the will of the playwright - if a short play, then it's short, if long, long. If he wishes you to play the beggar, play even that role well, just as you would if it were a cripple, a honcho, or an everyday person. For this is your duty, to perform well the character assigned you. That selection belongs to another." -Epictetus, Enchiridion, 17 From the Author: "Our station in life can be as random as a roll of the dice. Some of us are born into privilege, others into adversity. Sometimes we're given exactly the opportunities we want. At other times we're given a lucky break, but to us it feels like a burden. The Stoics remind us that whatever happens to us today or over the course of our lives, wherever we fall on the intellectual, social, or physical spectra, our job is not to complain or bemoan our plight but to do the best we can to accept it and fulfill it. Is there still room for flexibility or ambition? Or course! The history of the stage is littered with stories of bit parts that turned into starring roles and indelible characters that were expanded in future adaptations. But even this begins with acceptance and understanding - and desire to excel at what we have been assigned." I'm not sure where or when I first heard about it, nor how it ties in with Samsara, the Hindu belief of reincarnation, but a theory that resonates with me is such; in the afterlife, we review our lives, whether that's God's judgement, or a coordinated effort to see what you learned, then you choose another role, and other lessons to learn, in the next life. Each life giving yourself different 'fate' lines, where you invite other souls/spirits to come along and play their part along side you. I think overcoming adversity, having gratitude, patience and being accepting of who you are is a big part of navigating the lessons, trials if you will, that we have set for ourselves. And despite this, having potentially limitless impressions on this world, birth, life, death, rebirth, we must realise that we don't carry from one to the next our memories consciously, and therefore we must treat this like our only life, our precious, limited time, to do the best we can, to be the best we can with what tools we're given. Become the star of the show if you wish, and put your whole self out there. Maybe the lesson to be learned is humility. Or be a wallflower, keep to yourself and a small group - and perhaps learn that you must be more open, that you must seize whats infront of you. Whatever it is, along with your purpose, find it. Run with it. What's the worst that can happen?

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 26 November 7th - How To Be Powerful "Don't trust in your reputation, money, or position, but in the strength that is yours - namely, your judgements about the things that you control and don't control. For this alone is what makes us free and unfettered, that picks us up by the neck from the depths and lifts us eye to eye with the rich and powerful." -Epictetus, Discourses, 3.26.34-34 Excerpts from Author: "In a scene in Steven Pressfield's classic novel about Alexander the Great, The Virtues of War, Alexander reaches a river crossing only to be confronted by a philosopher who refuses to move. 'This man has conquered the world!' one of Alexander's men shouts. 'What have you done?' The Philosopher responds, with complete confidence, 'I have conquered the need to conquer the world'. We do know that Alexander did clash with Diogenes the Cynic, a philosopher known for his rejection of what society prizes and, by extension, Alexander's self-image. Just as in Pressfield's fictional encounter, in Diogenes real confrontation with Alexander, the philosopher was more powerful than the most powerful man in the world - because, unlike him, Diogenes had fewer wants. They were able to look each other in the eye and see who really had control over himself, who had achieved the self-mastery required for real and lasting power. You can have that too. It just means focusing inward on acquiring power rather than outward. As Pubilius Syrus, himself a former slave, put it: 'Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself!'" "Every man has a kingdom inside him Will he ever see What is here in the now is the reason Find the path for his soul to be free Deep inside is the key..." Dungeon - The Power Within Not only do we all have an Empire, or a Kingdom, inside us, we have the ability to dig deep for the key. In self mastery this would reflect our abundance and gratitude for what we have, or our ability to extend our time horizon the future, or to discipline ourselves in ways of physical training, philosophical thinking and prayer. To keep your word and to pursue what matters, doing what helps your growth. Not in power over others, but over yourself. The power within.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 25 November 6th - Someone Else Is Spinning The Thread "If the breaking day sees someone proud, The ending day sees them brought low. No one should put too much trust in triumph, No one should give up hope of trials improving. Clotho mixes one with the other and stops Fortune from resting, spinning every fate around. No one has had so much divine favor They they could guarantee themselves tomorrow. God keeps our lives hurtling on, Spinning in a whirlwind." - Seneca, Thyestes, 613 From the Author, paraphrased: "To the ancients, Clotho, one of the three Greek goddesses of fate 'spun' the thread of human life. She decided the course of the events of our lives - some good. Some bad. A triumph becomes a trial, a trial becomes a triumph. Life can change in an instant. Remember, today, how often it does." "When the gods send evil, one cannot escape it." - Aeschylus, playwright. I'm constantly reminded that 'this too shall pass'. It seems that everytime I go through a rough time, the goddesses relieve me, let me breathe fresh air once again. I don't tend to go through many trials, or maybe I do and just don't notice how bad it could be for others if they were in my situation. I see others go through great trials, though, and then see their triumphs on the way, and it reinforces the ups and downs of life, and to not spend time wallowing on the trials, nor celebrating the triumphs, but to look forward to each trial as an opportunity to triumph over, then onto the next. Fate is spun outside of our control, and we never know what tomorrow will bring. The only thing we can control is how we react to each hurdle and haven. Remember; This too shall pass, and the clouds will part, and the sun will shine on your face. But don't spend too much time basking, because there is much work to do.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 24 November 5th - A Higher Power "This is the very thing which makes up the virtue of the happy person and a well-flowing life - when the affairs of life are in every way tuned to the harmony between the individual divine spirit and the will of the director of the universe." -Chrysippus, Quoted in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, 7.1.88 From the Author: "It's also clear that this wisdom is beneficial to us all. you don't have to believe there is a god directing the universe, you just need to stop believing /you're/ that director. As soon as you can attune your spirit to that idea, the easier annd happier your life will be, because you will have given up the most potent addiction of all: control." So the author (Ryan Holiday and/or Stephen Hanselman) talks about 12 step programs for addicts, and how many get stuck on step 2 - acknowledging a higher power, and getting out of their own way. Serenity Prayer: "God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference." -Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971) A very well known prayer that tends to pop up a lot in addiction recovery programs, because it allows one to give oneself a chance to let go, and come to terms with the fact there are things one can't control. Life is much more peaceful and simple when you (As @Brisket said) "Be like water". To stop trying to herd cats, or at least to not give rise to negative feelings and energies when the cats climb up curtains, hide under couches and push glasses of water off tables instead of being corralled by you.

The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 23 November 4th - Not Good, Nor Bad. "There is no evil in things changing, just as there is no good in persisting in a new state" - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.42 From the Author: "When people say change is good, they're usually trying to reassure someone (Or themselves). Because instinctively we view change as bad - or at least we're suspicious of it. The Stoics want you to do away with those labels altogether. Change isn't good. The Status Quo isn't bad. They just are. Remember, events are objective. It's only our opinion that says something is good or bad (and thus worth fighting against or fighting for). A better attitude? To decide to make the most of everything. But to do that you must first cease fighting." When I think of the last few years on the world stage, and the things we were told to do, think and believe, I remember the initial stages of me finally opening my eyes. I remember thinking how much I wanted to fight this overarching power structure, to deliberately disobey to prove that they had no power over me. Then after some time I realised that the truth is they don't, and therefore I don't need to fight. I will just live the way I want and pay no mind to those who wish me to act according to their agenda. The way we feel about change is determined by how we see certain events or future trends playing out. But just like preference in music, and even the evolution of music, it's entirely opinion, not necessarily truth. One person may like Rap, and you may think it's the most awful thing to be played on the radio, but neither you or the other person's opinion is true, or correct. I always feel some amount of disgust for the direction the general world is going, but I realise it's less important to dislike that, and more important to focus on the change I want. In myself, in who I surround myself with, in what we build, and how we can all contribute to a shared goal. In the mean time, despite everything, I make the most of, and be grateful for, all the good and positive things.