Leave the past behind. Let the future take care of itself. Our job is to guide the present with right action.
We need to persist in what is right and resist what is wrong.
Always ask yourself before you act, is what I am about to do consistent with who I am, is it consistent with who I want to be.
There is nothing as good for the soul as wisdom. Seek it out. Avoid adopting the opinions of others as wisdom. Don’t be lazy, do the work.
Doing wrong is only doing wrong to yourself. It may feel good, but if you are honest with yourself and reflect on your action, you will realize the damage you are doing is damage to yourself.
Celebrate your friends’ success as if it were your own.
When an opponent on the Pickleball court makes a good shot, say “Good shot.” It’s that simple. Life is not a zero-sum-game.
Words cannot be unsaid once spoken.
Spend time often meditating. Reflect on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the Universe.
“Cosmopolitanism” was first articulated by Marcus Aurelius. This is the notion that we are not only citizens of our local community and our country, but we are also citizens of the world. A concept lost to many people today.
Stilpo was Zeno’s teacher. He taught Zeno that to develop a strength that cannot be broken is to develop true strength. The only way you can loose true strength is if you give it up.
Beware of success. Don’t let success lead you to want more. It is better to have less and be thankful than to have more and need even more.
Control.
To put it simply control, is the one thing we control.
Do we look around us and see all the things that are out of our control, or do we look around us and focus on those things that we can control?
We should focus on those things we can control.
Robert Caro said: “Power doesn’t corrupt, it reveals.” We all recognize this and see it constantly in our daily lives. People with power often tend to wield it for their own benefit.
There is another attribute that can corrupt or reveal: Prosperity. Prosperity has the same potential effect as power. Prosperity can be financial or personal, in fact there are many types of prosperity. If we have the good fortune to prosper, we must remember not to let it change us. Strive to have the character that is strong and true even in good fortune.
Leisure is fine, but it should not take the place of study. When you take time for leisure, and you should, keep in mind that you can still be learning. Bring along a good book and take the opportunity during down moments to read. We should always have in the back of our mind a purpose for everything we do. We should always be striving to grow. That is the definition of an exciting life.
Do not be a slave. You may not wear chains placed on you by another man, but it is possible you are still enslaved. This is a question that you must ask yourself. Are you a slave to money, power, lust, other peoples’ approval? There are many ways to enslave ourselves. All have the same end result — they take away our freedom. The answer, do not desire anything that is in someone else’s power to control if you want to be truly free.
Donald Trump is a modern day Nero. So many people that have done Trump’s bidding have been cast aside. These people should have been prepared for their fate. The signs were everywhere. Instead it seems they were surprised.
Seneca was tossed aside by Nero. Seneca was well respected, Nero was a tyrant. When Seneca’s friends heard the news that Seneca had been sentenced to death by suicide, they lamented the fact. Seneca’s reply, “where is your philosophy?” You should be prepared for any turn of fate. We may not be happy to be led by men like Trump and Nero, that makes the necessity to be prepared all the more important. Fate does not spare anyone.
Nothing is free. We will face situations where we are outmatched by the adversity we are facing. Preparation is our best practice in defense of adveristy. When facing adversity, how we respond will define us. Is our approach to the confrontation allowing us to learn and get stronger or have we submitted to failure without a struggle?
General Douglas MacArthur once said, and these words are engraved on a wall at the West Point Gymnasium:
Part of life is constantly being caught off guard. It will happen more often than we want it to. Plans are only as good as their assumptions. When you are caught off guard, the best you can do, and your highest priority, is to calmly find your way back to your goal as quickly as you can.
Life is to be wrestled with. Adversity and the unexpected require that you be ready to grapple with circumstances at any time. I the best of circumstances, life is like dancing, when circumstances become complex and work against you, life becomes like a wrestling match. Be a good dancer, but also learn some good wrestling holds.
If you set your mind to a task and you always follow through, that is commendable. If you always follow through, even when the task becomes irrelevant, this behavior becomes a liability. Always look at your tasks in the light of changing conditions, because conditions change. Some tasks are not meant to be completed. They may have been good ideas when they were conceived, but now they are no longer good ideas due to a change in conditions. Complete tasks whenever you can, but don’t be captive to them.
Nothing is unending, you simply need to be gracious and work through it.
“Nature is merciful, and does not try her children, man or beast, beyond their compass. It is only when the cruelty of man intervenes that hellish torments appear. For the rest — live dangerously; take things as they come; dread naught, all will be well.” Winston Churchill spoke those words prior to WWII.
This attitude no doubt played a role in leading Churchill through one of the darkest times in modern history. I take encouragement from these words. There is little doubt we are facing our own dark time full of trials. Remembering these words is consoling.
Does someone hate you? Let’s hope not. If you find yourself in those shoes, it is better to respond with kindness than it is to respond in kind. If there is a chance to influence the hater, take it. If that is not an option, then accept that person as they are — never hate in return.
It’s better to persevere than it is to get lucky. Anyone can get lucky. The truly great person achieves success through hard work, by prevailing over adversity and disappointment. It is also better to admire the hard working over those that achieved success via luck or unearned inheritance. There is a saying, “God favors fools.” That may be true, but who wants to be admired as a fool?
If you have a philosophy that you choose to live by (Stoicism is one of many to choose from) that’s a good thing, but beware the temptation to think you understand that philosophy before you have had time to put it into daily practice. Just because you agree with a philosophy or feel attracted to it doesn’t mean you have a true understanding. Understanding only comes with time, learning, and practice. Beware the temptation to sound smart before you actually are.
There are two ways to approach desire. When desire is appropriate, address it with caution and be sure not to overindulge. When desire is inappropriate, ask for the strength to ignore it. In both cases, make desire a positive motivation, don’t allow it to become an obsession.
Avoid giving in to fear. Fear is a warning to be cautious and aware, not a signal to give up hope. The Stoics speak of the “Inner Citadel.” Our inner domain is our sanctuary. Fortune can affect us. Physical vulnerabilities may befall us. It is our inner sour, our inner fortress that sustains and supports us.