I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.
Monday - Only Bad Dreams
The thing that provoked my isn’t real; my reaction is real. I have entered that calm state again where I feel like things don’t upset me as much. I’ve been here before and unfortunately I know things will progress to a point that I’m not in this current state. Hopefully, I can maintain it as long as possible and make the non-state a short period.
This was evident recently when some interesting news broke on Twitter in the infosec community. I have a small tie-in to it that some know but many don’t. I’ve thought a lot about it recently. I’m still in a what and see mindset because there’s a lot of emotions involved and people with sharp axes striking. I could be upset at any number of things but I have a peaceful mind about it.
Tuesday - Don’t Make Things Harder Than They Need To Be
This stoic talks about work and essentially doing what your boss says. This is something that I’ve written about a lot. I have had moments where I realized what I was gripping about was dumb. I’ve learned from those moments. There are certain things though where I know things can be done better and voice my concern. I have to strike that balance or maybe I’m just making things harder on myself. I can be at peace with that because I’m willing to push the boundaries on things and that will make for conflict.
Wednesday - The Enemy of Happiness
One subtle change I’ve seen since studying stoicism is this stoic. I don’t look forward to events the same way. I don’t get excited about an upcoming trip or event. Instead I try to live in the moment and find the wonderful things about that moment. There are times where that’s tougher. I’m happy though that I’ve made this change because it makes life more enjoyable overall.
Thursday - Prepare For The Storm
This tells me I need to better prepare for bad times. I’ve never had a plan. Or at least not that I’m aware of. I’ve noticed walking can be very therapeutic for me. It gives me time to think and some exercise. I’ve used working out the same way. My plan in the future when I’m in a stormy state will be to make time to walk.
Yesterday - The Banquet of Life
A lot of frustrations at work can be tied to this stoic. I’ve been told to be patient. To the point that they’ve said, “I know I’ve told you this before.” I feel like I can be a patient person. I can also be inpatient. My personality has a lot to do with efficiency and that means getting things done quickly. If I have a good idea I want it to be spread quickly. That’s not how these things happen though.
One of my favorite topics at work is hiring because I’ve had success with it and I’ve made it something opposite of what I’ve had to experience. I wish the world would take the approach. I wish my company would take it. It’s largely mocked at work. I have started to gain some ground though within the circle of people I work with. I helped someone a year ago who after making a bad hire took some of my suggestions and made a great hire. Others have started to reach out. It’s not the company but it is a start.
Today - The Grand Parade of Desire
Craving things can be harmful because they can make things worse. I’m still working on my vices. I’ve made progress over the last year. I’m sleeping more which is good for my rest but also it’s less time spent on those vices.
