Daily Stoic(s)

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

Yesterday - Maintain Composure, Maintain Control

When something minor disrupts the day, it’s important for me to get a hold of myself and back on track. I feel like this entire week has been that sort of thing. We had a good labor day weekend with a huge interruption. We handled it well. I haven’t handled some of the setbacks I’ve had this week very well. I have high expectations of myself and I think that can throw me off balance as I beat myself up for missteps and failures. I’m trying to learn to slow everything down. Take a breath and regain control. It’s tough. And that is something to keep in mind as well. It’s tough.

Today - No Pain, No Gain

Struggle is what helps us grow. We must see these struggles head on and try to get better. I’ve been struggling a lot in life, particularly in the evening. I like to stay up and play on my computer or watch TV or a movie. This can lead to some late nights that result in me being tired the next day. I’ve worked on this a lot and while it’s getting better I am get a bit frustrated. The comforting thing is that I feel at some point I will be where I want to be with it.

Life Isn't a Dance

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

Wrestling is chaotic and unpredictable. Dancing in general is graceful and predictable. Life then is more like wrestling than it is dancing. Wrestling requires training and the ability to adapt to your opponent. We can come in with a strategy and have that strategy blown away on the first move.

Flexibility of The Will

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

Flexibility is what makes us strong. We must adapt to new circumstances and changes to what we know. I like this because it means continuing to learn and understand life and other circumstances gives me purpose. It’s also comforting that I do a lot of these activities already. This past weekend we had something change that altered our weekend. I could have used determination to make it through. Instead the wife and I adjusted and made the best of the situation.

Daily Stoic(s)

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

Thursday - A Different Way to Pray

This reminds me of re-framing thought. Instead of looking at the negative of something it’s better to look at the positive by re-framing the thought. Instead of asking for something, how can I be better about the ask or craving. I think it’s a powerful way to become much happier in life.

Friday - A Garden Is Not For Show

The things I’ve learned studying stoicism has led me to recognize where others could improve in life. While noble it isn’t the best use of my time to preach the benefits of stoicism. Other people have to come to it with an open mind. If we just preach at people that aren’t ready to accept it then it falls on deaf ears. That’s why there’s so much back and forth on social media about politics and all sorts of other topics. Each person has their view and it’s quite difficult to change that view. Nor should we really be trying to change that view for that person. What we want to spend our time on is our own self-improvement and quality of life.

Saturday - Anyone Can Get Lucky, Not Everyone Can Persevere

Greatness comes from those who have been dealt a less than ideal hand in life and still succeed. I seek these people out in life when I’m hiring because I know they’ve been through hardships. If they’ve come out the other side with a good work ethic and great attitude I want them on my team because the work place can some times be brutal.

I’ve had similar struggles in life through school and other relationships. I feel I’ve weathered the storm fairly well and so I identify with others who have had to fight through the struggles of life.

Yesterday - Dealing With Haters

Haters often hate because they have their own internal issues. This is why compassion can be more powerful than a return of hate or anger. I had a lot of haters in middle school and high school. It helped me understand compassion and the fact that I can’t control those people. Often they have issues of their own that fuel the hate.

Today - Dealing With Pain

Pain is never unbearable or unending. Often it’s just another thing that can cloud judgement or cause issues to get worse. Working in IT I quickly realized that I will work extra hours and often times off-hours. What comforted me through those times is that at some point, I will get home and be in my bed asleep. The pain of having to work would never go on unending and at some point there would be a stopping point.

Protecting Our Inner Fortress From Fear

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

We all have a strong fortress inside. It is not external factors that breach the fortress it’s our own internal thoughts and feelings. The stoic concept of control applies here. We can’t control the external factors that affect our walls. We can control our inner thoughts and choices. Those the only way the fortress is breached is by our thoughts and choices. We are the ones to feel fear in the face of some external factor. The pandemic is a really good example. Fear has overtaken our society and that will unfortunately lead many people to darker times.