Where to Find Joy

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

There is joy in helping others and providing value to others. This is why the stoic puts aside all self pleasures to help others or have a cause that helps others. I’m struggling with this at the moment. I enjoy playing video games and have time carved out for that. Is it better that I devote time to doing something more productive? On the one hand I’m doing something productive. On the other hand I feel exhausted and have an even stronger urge to playing video games. This can lead to late night gaming sessions. I’m working on finding a balance for that. It’s tough. Breaking habits is no easy habits and takes time.

The other frustrating thing is that I have all sorts of ideas for things that I feel can help people and provide value. The question I come back to is always, “What’s the point?” I haven’t really found a good answer to that. I also feel like the value I will provide is small. I did get joy out of doing podcasts. Eventually it just felt mundane and thus the quality of the product suffered.

Making Your Own Good Fortune

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

Luck is something that we can increase by working harder. I remember being young and wishing certain things would happen to improve my life. I quickly learned that luck had nothing to do with it. Learning, practicing, and working hard improved my luck. Some would say the great company I work for was lucky. I was in a position I wanted to get out of badly. I luckily went to a meeting where a buddy of mine said there was an opportunity in Nashville. I eventually got the job. Lucky right?

Here’s the full context. I established myself at my first security job. I said yes to going to lunch with one of my co-workers who he used to work. I got to be good friends with the guy he used to work with. We rode together to a conference that had an organizer at the place I eventually worked at. She’s now my peer working for the same boss. I went to this conference to shoot pictures for the event. I also, started up a local security user group with the guy I worked with. The very first meeting he brought up the opportunity which is where I am currently working at. Since acquiring that position I’ve been promoted to manager.

Was that luck or did I put myself out there? I put the extra effort into my day job, both at the job and after hours. I do feel there was some luck in getting my current opportunity, but I also improved my chances for luck by going the extra mile.

Show Me How To Live

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

Live in the here and now. I feel like this can be a conflicting message if you’re trying to build a career. If you want money, fame, and glory then leaving in the moment means living in your work. Giving the best you can. For me I’ve met my career goals. I don’t feel like I need to spend extra hours doing things for work. Instead I can live in the moment by spending time with the wife and kids. We played Uno Flip for the first time last night and it was quite fun. Tonight I played an online version of cards against humanity that lasted for two plus hours. For me living life and enjoying my time is how I want to live. I want to spend times with neighbors and my video game hobby. I want to live my fullest which means maximizing my experiences. That includes traveling and just enjoying life. I feel like I’m in an envious position and I still want more. Everything from here on out is a bonus.

As Wooderson put it

Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N.

Today is the Day

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

I’ve never liked New Years resolutions. I don’t like the idea of starting something on an arbitrary date. I think if you want change you start it now. I’m working on that change myself. It includes breaking some bad habits. I am seeing progress though. Which is good. I’d probably have better progress if I took my own advice and I just started today and fight off more of my urges.

I remember walking into work one day and saw my reflection in the door. I was disgusted at what I saw. I started running every morning before work. After a year I was down 30 pounds. Ever since then I’ve plateaued. Well except for the year I joined a company weight loss and ended up down 10 more pounds. I’ve since seen that go up with certain life choices. That’s beside the point. I can make the changes I want and I should start today.

What Kind of Boxer Are You

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

The plan falls apart the minute you get hit. What we do after that first hit defines who we are and what we learn from that situation. Do we crumble or do we find a way to get through. I’m not proud of how I’ve acted over the past year. It was a learning opportunity though. It showed me how I could fail and the corrections and adjustments I need to make. Hardship is something I think about often. I didn’t grow up in an abusive household. I did grow up in schools where I was constantly bullied and picked on. I remember the grade it turned for me. The middle of fourth grade.

I moved from Germany where I loved going to school on base with other military brats to a base in New Jersey with other military brats. Coming in half-way through the year I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t make any in the six months I was there. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. We moved to Kansas after that. I made friends. I had some good experiences and some bad experiences. I moved back to New Jersey and I really didn’t fit in. I had a friend or two. Eventually they moved away and I moved on. What was great about the experience was that moving allowed me to try and craft a better identity. To start over. It sucked but I learned a lot about interactions. I’m still learning about interactions. Especially, in a managerial capacity. It was a struggle growing up and I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me.