Work is Therapy

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

Get out there and work. Ever been ready to get off vacation and back into a normal routine? That’s what today’s stoic is about. Work is what our minds and body are meant to do. I get that there is satisfaction in it. There can also be satisfaction in video games. Beating a game or level that really tests your mental and hand eye coordination. Or reaching max level. I’m still trying to figure out the sweet spot for me. I’m all for work and I’m all for video games. I can overindulge and that’s a problem. I should also be allowed to enjoy my own free time. I know I can do more. I just don’t know if I have a desire to do that. I don’t need to be rich or famous. I’m happy with where I am in life. I’m perfectly content to live out where I am now and enjoy life a little.

The First Two Things Before Acting

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

Don’t get upset.

Do the right thing.

These are the two things we need to do before acting. I often forget this in the heat of the moment. I’m working on that. Instead of letting my emotions take over I’m trying to take a step back and question the situation. Why is this happening. What is the other person’s motivation. From there I can pick a clear path often times me being upset is my own fault.

I hoped on social media today and read a lot of hateful tweets. These tweets were directed at people who don’t wear masks. They were emotionally charged. Some of it resulted from their early stance on wearing masks and how they were mocked or put down for that view early on in the pandemic. Now was the time of their revenge and they let it fly. I felt sorry for them. I’m neither pro or anti-mask. If I go out and an organization or store wishes I wear a mask I’ll wear it. Otherwise I’m not all that concerned with the risk of the pandemic. I’ve reviewed the data. I don’t live in a high density location. I feel the risk for my profile is low. I will respect people’s wishes and I’ll decide my own risk level.

Sweat The Small Stuff

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

Small choices are made to better ourselves. From the time we get up to the time we go to bed we’re making a lot of small choices. What choices we make determine the kind of person we are. I’ve been working on my evening choices a lot. Mostly trying to go to bed earlier and stop drinking at a certain point. I was successful last night in stopping drinking around 9 and then getting off my computer an hour later. I didn’t go immediately to bed and instead relaxed by watching a couple shows of community. This has happened for a couple nights in a row. It’s slow and small progress towards a better life. Rewiring the brain and habits can take time and it requires patience and small steps in the right direction.

Stop Caring What People Think

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

Think about what you think. Think about the results and what is the right thing to do. I’ve often not cared what others have thought about me. That’s not to say I don’t get nervous before I make a presentation. It’s just that’s not at the front of my mind. I absolute care about what people think about me thought. Especially when I first meet them, I care. Which is why I so often am quiet. I’m trying to blend in like a chameleon. Once I have a gauge on the person or group I will open myself up. This is a scar from my past. From getting picked on in school from fifth grade and on.

I’ve learned to deal with it and see an advantage in remaning quiet while I gauge the interests and agendas of a group or person. At another level I have let go of how people think about me, because I can’t control those thoughts. My wife often gets on me about this. It often comes out when i am comfortable around people. A lot of people think I’m loud. At work I’m considered loud at the highest levels of the company. To me that’s okay because I’m getting visibility up there and have some influence. It’s also okay because that’s who I am. It’s what makes me special in the presentations I make at work and in my own personal groups. Changing that would be changing the core of my personality.

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.