Randy Jacob
I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
I feel like I’m constantly assessing myself in an effort to try and get better. The commentary today says that we often over evaluate what we’re capable of and also under evaluate what we’re capable of. Where is the line and how do I get there?
Alex Bock
I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
We become philosophers when we start to question our emotions, beliefs, and words that others take for granted. I feel like I’ve been doing this for a while at a much lower level. These last several months I’ve cranked it up to 10 to try and understand. Understand purpose and why I do the things I do. I hated philosophy in college.
Hari Nandakumar
I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
Since becoming a manager I’ve changed. The biggest change is in how I handle situations, processes, and people. I can get very passionate about how things are handled. I’ve since learned that I can’t control people and that I am moving toward indifference to situations. I may not agree with it. I need to cultivate indifference though or I’ll be dead somewhere in my 40s. I used to think my passionate responses and caring about the work got me where I am. Management is a different mindset and I feel like the best managers are those that can keep an even keel perception of things. I’d like to be a good manager.
Richard Winters server in the Army during World War II. He was one of the main players in the book and show Band of Brothers. I loved that he always seemed to be in control of situations even when it wasn’t of his own making. He stepped up and performed. Because of his indifference he was able to have many successes on the battlefield and climb the ranks to further influence decision making in the Army. \
I could have used this stoic Tuesday when I was frustrated about work. The frustration wasn’t helped by the fact that while taking my son to the doctor the low tire pressure light came on. I had to run the car to the mechanic and figure out a way home. The wife was stressed out. Tuesday is the day the kids go to their activities. I didn’t end the day well.
The stoic talks about troubled water. When everything is balanced and good it is calm. When that water is disturbed it’s very turbulent. While at my daughters singing lessons I just sat there and meditated. When I left I was much more calm. Then I got back into work and stayed up late. I could have used more meditation at the end of the day. That’s all part of the process though and eventually the water has settled.
“Do I need this thing?”
“What will happen if I do not get it?”
“Can I make do without it?”
These are things we should be asking ourselves. We need to prioritize what’s important in life. I am the worst at this as I have many different interests. I can overwhelm my self with stuff to do. I’ve started to ask this more and more of the things I’m doing. Video games being a good example.
I’m getting back into retail WoW after playing WoW Classic. There is a new allied race available and I’d like to get it. In the past each night before going to bed I’ve done the daily quests I needed to get the allied races done. It’s different this time. I’m prioritizing books and spending time with the wife over a daily grind to something that is ultimately a nice to have. I can get the race at any time. There’s no rush and that’s a comforting thought.
Girma Nigusse
I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
Abraham Lincoln used to write letters when he was mad at someone. He would then put the letter in a drawer. I’ve heard of similar techniques using email. Write a letter then delete it. This is often to get the emotional reaction out. I was recently talking to my CISO and he said that he will not respond to an email with emotion. He’ll take a step back and come back to it later. This is something I’ve been working on at home.
Kids can be quite frustrating. I try to remain even keel with them and it works most of the time. At some point there’s a tipping point. I remember one instance where I came home and got really emotional. I had recently bought a new LCD TV. I figured I was safe now that the kids were much older. There was no need for them to put their hands or fingers on the screen (or previous TV had the entire bottom half of it covered in fingerprints). I came home a few days after buying the TV to find a hand print right in the middle of the screen. The result was much yelling and putting a door knob into the wall because I had opened the door with too much force (the kids had unscrewed the door stopper). At that point I walked away to fume by myself.
Nothing good came out of that reaction. Not only did I have a hand print, I now have a hole in a wall. While not a shinning moment, it was a learning opportunity and in the future hope to act with more control.
Thomas Park
I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
This is a great stoic. Live in the present without the emotions that bring misery and dissatisfaction. This is of course easier said than done. It does get easier with practice however. I’m curious if people who are diagnosed with depression or some other mental illness can practice getting out of those states with mindfulness and practice.
Social media is a cesspit of emotions. Maybe not cesspit, because there are positive emotions and I try to lean towards those. The Astros cheating scandal is one of those things that has caused strong emotions. What they did was wrong and I still support the team. Mistakes are made. I don’t think they’re the only team that was doing it. I think there will be more cheating at some point in the future. It’s in the history of the game. Players are always trying to gain an advantage.
The emotions on the topic are strong. Outrage from other fan bases. Specifically, those that played the Astros in the 2017 playoffs and lost. Astros fans feel like they’re being singled out. Others are leaning into the bad guy role. Which just tends to escalate things. I’ve taken a much more casual approach. I enjoy the funny and creative things that have come out of this. There are some really great images and videos out there. A few of my buddies were showing me some of the stuff last night and I was laughing along with them. Getting upset at the team isn’t going to change things. Getting upset at the other fan bases and the injustice isn’t going to change things. I’d prefer to experience the moment and enjoy it at some level.