There Is Always More Room To Maneuver Than You Think

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

Defeatism leads to defeat. Looking for opportunities can also lead to defeat, but it also has a chance of leading to a better outcome. At the very least looking for opportunities allow us to grow. It’s something you have to teach children playing a game. They can’t and won’t always win the game or in life. Having a defeated attitude doesn’t allow them to grow or learn. Instead focus on the opportunities and small wins from those.

I’ve talked a lot about golf and how we can get into this state. I’ll take a break from that for a moment to talk about Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. He has his players focused on the small things and doing those really well. They may end up losing the game, but they have a chance to win if they focus on the next opportunity. Ask the Atlanta Falcons how that worked out for them.

Silence Is Strength

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

Listening and allowing others talk builds self-sufficiency. I’ve been amazed at what I can learn about people by asking questions and just listening. I’ve built better relationships with people and had a bigger impact on people I just met. It’s fun for me to make someone else the center of attention and have them walk away not knowing a whole lot about me. I on the other hand know a lot about them and may have even learned something.

Daily Stoic(s)

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

Yesterday - The Good Life Is Anywhere

Where ever we are is the good life. I don’t need a fancy home or a ton of money to live the good life. The good life is where I am at and what I make of it.

Today - No Blame, Just Focus

The stoic talks about Nelson Mandela and how he found creativity in and held his head while imprisoned. I’ve felt very emotional the last few days. There have been a series of events that have frustrated me. They’re small and eventually they add up. I’ve tried reeling in my emotions by meditating and by distracting myself. I’ve felt this before on a few occasions in the past. I think I’m blaming my past self a lot and reacting emotionally to the things that are happening. Instead this stoic suggests I ignore the emotions and focus on what I can control.

We Can Work Any Way

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

Today’s stoic is about taking bad situations and bad fates and making the best of the situation. I’ve started using that for sleep and other less than ideal scenarios. I take it as a time to meditate or reflect on my feelings and thoughts. I learned this from the plans I’ve had in life that fell through or didn’t work out the way I wanted. I had the worst six months of my life in my early 20s. My girlfriend and I broke up, my roommate bailed on me with money owed, I got in trouble at work. I was miserable and I realized this was an opportunity to change. To learn how to talk to women, choose my friends better, and do a better job at work.

Don't Go Expecting Perfection

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

Little annoyances and nuisances shouldn’t get in the way of accomplishing what we want to accomplish. There will never be a perfect time for babies or moving to a new job or redefining ourselves. This one of the reasons why my daily stoics are off by 10 days. I didn’t wait until January 1st to start doing them. I started on December 20th. I did the same thing for my fitness several years ago. I walked into work one day and saw how overweight I was in the reflective entrance doors. I realized I had to do something, so I started shortly after that. I started by running in the morning. Just running. That has morphed into longer and more intense workouts. I didn’t wait for the perfect time or perfect routine. I just went and started doing it to improve my health.