I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
Aug 4 - Make The Words Your Own
I like this stoic because I feel I’ve done this with my own original content. I’ve had a few people in the security industry tell me they were stealing something I said or a concept. I told them they were very much welcome to it because it validated what I was saying and meant that others could pick up on the concept. It would spread to a much wider audience. At the base of it, I was taking concepts that were crafted by others and applying it to something that impacted me in my life, so in truth I wasn’t even the originator of it.
Aug 5 - Take Charge And End Your Troubles
Mindset is huge for me now. I still get frustrated but it’s a lot less. This has saved me tons of energy and stress. I can choose how to respond to things. I’m sort of doing that right now being a rut. I’m taking some time for myself and trying to get back into some form of routine. Work is very frustrating and I can wallow in it or I can try to take a step back and take a break. The work will be there regardless.
Aug 6 - This Isn’t For Fun. It’s For Life
I feel I’ve been on both sides of an argument. I don’t think I do it for show. I may be doing it because I enjoy playing the devil’s advocate on topics. I believe society gets into arguing about small details on topics. We agree on 80% of it and argue the other 20%.
Aug 7 - The Supreme Court Of Your Mind
We are reflected in our actions. Honesty even when it’s not convenient and consistency. This is why integrity is an important word to me. Doing what I say I’m going to do. Following through speaks louder than any words. I haven’t always followed through but I do put a lot of effort into following through.
Aug 8 - Anything Can Be An Advantage
I was picked on a lot in school. That has turned into an advantage for me because I gained a lot of empathy from being picked on. It didn’t feel good and so I try not to pick on others. This also gives me an advantage in the work I do. There’s always a reason behind why someone does something, so I try to identify and understand that reason.
Aug 9 - The Buck Stops Here
This is another key stoic for me. I can determine how I respond to certain scenarios. One of the first questions I ask is how I could have done better or accounted for the situation. It’s quite liberating to understand that I have power to avoid or change things.
Yesterday - Only Fools Rush In
Choice needs thought to ensure a good decision is made. I don’t know that it always works out. We win some; we lose some. That’s where making the best choice with thought can free the mind to have a good outcome or understand that the best was choice was made despite the outcome. I feel like I do need to slow down sometimes on choices. I need to take a little more time to think through situations.
Today - Corralling The Unnecessary
I am working towards making sure I stick to my routine as much as possible. That can be tough when traveling which I do quite a bit. I just got back from DEFCON and it took four days for me to finally sit down and get back to this. I sometimes bring the book along to read and jot down in a journal. I didn’t do that this time for whatever reason. I don’t always do them every day. I did however workout more than I normally do at a conference. I was at the gym each morning and worked out in my room. That was a nice change of pace. I also didn’t stay out late like I normally would which was another cutting of unnecessary activities.