Daily Stoic(s)

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Yesterday - For The Hot-Headed Men

Anger is a weakness. I like the last line of the stoic, “…they are in control of their passions—rather than controlled by their passions.” Strength is found in keeping your cool and not getting angry. I’ve been working on this a lot in traffic and I do feel calmer now riding to and from work. Kids are the ultimate test in keeping your cool and I’m really working on that as well.

Today - A Proper Frame of Mind

Impulse is what drives us to do certain things. The stoic compares it to someone else coming in and telling us what to do and how to feel. This is something I’m struggling with regarding video games, drinking, and food. It’s pretty tough not let our impulses over take us because they’re impulses. I’m trying to stay more mindful about those impulses and asking the question why. I want to better understand why I had a particular impulse. Sometimes it’s stress. Other times I have a desire to hang out with friends.

Philosophy As Medicine Of The Soul

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

Things are going great and then they aren’t. It’s become so common throughout my life that now I expect a low after reaching a high. Like a roller-coaster. Today’s stoic is about using philosophy as a stabilizer. We get busy, we’re stimulated, and creative. We move away from the philosophy that is keeping our bearings and us grounded. I’ll be interested to see if the peaks and valley’s decrease throughout the year as I continue with the daily stoics.

You Don't Have To Stay On Top Of Everything

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

This is about the willingness to say, “I don’t know.” There is a lot of news going on out there and in an effort to try and keep up with the latest and greatest we scroll and scroll and scroll. I’ve long given up trying to keep up. I used to get headaches from looking at social media. Those days are gone as I’ve taken social media off my phone and gotten into a habit of checking it every once and a while.

One I first read the title, I thought about work. How I try to be on top of work constantly. I don’t think it directly applies, I do think that I need to pick and choose what matters to me and let everything else go. In my position I deal with a lot of different teams and that can feel overwhelming at times.

Keep It Simple

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

I like this one. Not that I don’t like the others. This one is about not overthinking things and instead focusing on what’s in front of us. Do things as if they’re the last thing you’ll ever do. One thing that I’ve liked about blogging “daily” on the daily stoic is that it’s gotten me out of the habit of worrying what people are thinking. Blogging can be quite stressful if you second guess and try to figure out what people are going to think about what you read. It can increase how long it takes to blog.

Right now I’m overthinking. I feel like I have more to say on the topic. I probably do and it doesn’t really matter. Just keep it simple.

Watching The Wise

I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

This is all about role models. Choosing a role model. Doing what they do and don’t do. For me it’s been people like Richard Winters, Will Smith, Mike Shinoda, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell.

Richard Winter, was an officer in the U.S. Army who fought in World War II. He was a main figure in Band of Brothers. To me he was someone who handled the tough situations well. He always seemed to have an understanding of the situation and what need to be done.

Will Smith is someone I grew up with. I first learned of him watching The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Since then I’ve gotten into his music and movies. I love his confidence, humor swagger, and his ability to dive into a different arena and be successful at it.

Mike Shinoda is along those same lines as far as doing multiple things on stage and off. He raps, sings, plays guitar and keyboard. He’s had multiple projects outside of Linkin Park and pulls in some really good talent I hadn’t hear of before.

Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are along the same lines as Winters. They’re leaders. They’re also along the same lines as Smith and Shinoda in doing multiple things. Biggio started as a catcher, moved to second base, and the center field later in his career. Bagwell was the offensive powerhouse. He also played great defense and st