Life On A B-I7

Dealing With Change

One method for dealing with overwhelming change is feeling nostalgia for a time you have never known. One example is the way we glamorize Ancient Greece. Our society is changing too rapidly for our minds to grasp and adapt. This makes us long for the past. The feeling of being overwhelmed is one of the factors prompting this shift. The more anxiety we feel, the more we tend to retreat into the past.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 162

Instagram

I sat down to write about something and was presented with a new Mac update that required me to reopen all my apps. Now that I’ve done that, I forgot what I was going to write about… Forgetting what I intended to do happens more often than I care to admit.

Oh ya, I’ve decided I’m not going to look at Instagram today. I’ve been looking at it more and more lately, and I’m not convinced that is healthy. I mean, I love the cat videos. I’d love to build a “Catio” so Mr. Tux would have a safe stimulating place to play outdoors but my partner would not approve (good for her) and someone in the HOA would complain and I’d have to dismantle it anyway.

That said, If I hadn’t watched Instagram yesterday, I would not have learned that there are serious protests in New York where it looks like hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people are chanting “F@@@ Trump.” I found that a pleasant distraction (I would have enjoyed being there). I also watched a video (cos-play) of the Founding Fathers reading what the current administration is doing and comparing it to the practices of the monarchies of Europe. It was a lesson in the reasoning behind the Constitution and why it was written, and what it was intended to prevent. Yes, they were showing surprise, regret, and disgust. (The costumes they were wearing were excellent.)

Outside of watching the Founding Fathers comment on our current political situation, watching protesters in New York, and contemplating turning our patio into a cat haven, I endured a lot of shit during my scrolling.

So today I’m not going to look at Instagram. If you want my attention, you’re going to have to walk up to me, tap me on the shoulder, and ask me how my day is going and what is going on.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 161

No person has the power to possess everything they want. Does that sound familiar? It should. We are being led by a man that thinks having whatever he wants is reasonable. The ancient Romans knew this was not a tenable reality. Today we call that behavior malignant narcissism. The desire to obtain obscene wealth and power is possibly the most tragic of human flaws.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 160

There is living in luxury and living well. Be content to live well. Living in luxury is a manifestation of greed and it robs the world and our fellow man of precious resources that should be preserved for future generations.

8 Japanese Secrets to Detox Your Mind

SHINRIN-YOKU

Take a 20 minute slow walk. Breathe through your nose. Take notice of the things around you.

• Lowers cortisol
• Reduces rumination
• Improves focus
• Calms sympathetic nervous system

MA

Sit and breathe with no distractions for 10 minutes.

• Reduces dopamine overload
• Improves emotional control
• Increases clarity
• Reduces anxiety

KAIZEN

Improve one small thing every day. Just one thing.

• Removes feelings of being overwhelmed
• Builds momentum when repeated
• Improves confidence
• Reduces procrastination

WABI-SABI

Stop second guessing yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes. Post imperfect work. Accept where you are right now.

• Reduces comparison anxiety
• Stops perfection paralysis
• Improves mental peace
• Gives you the release to move forward

IKIGAI

Write. Write down answers to the following questions. What do I love. What am I good at. What do people value about me.

• Reduces confusion about who you are
• Improves direction
• Increases motivation
• Lowers existential stress

HARA HACHI BU

Stop eating at 80% full. Pause mid-meal to contemplate. Chew slowly.

• Improves impulse control
• Stabilizes blood sugar
• Reduces brain fog
• Trains discipline

OUBAITORI

Time your Social Media interaction. Do not exceed the limit you have set. Remove accounts, emails, interactions that are not positive. Focus on your progress not on what other people are doing.

• Reduces envy
• Increases self-worth
• Improves focus
• Increases well-being

SHOGANAI

If something is bothering you ask: “Can I control this?” If the answer is “No,” release it.

• Lowers stress reactivity
• Improves resilience
• Protects your mental energy
• Relaxes you

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 159

Seneca said that it is more easy to laugh at life than it is to lament it.

There is little to be gained by getting angry or sad. There is always something we can do to adjust our behavior to avoid becoming a victim of anger or sadness.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 158

We should get rid of all things that are unnecessary for our living. This will free us. Always remember that even dire misfortune can be an opening that brings us to a better place

Tattoo

Some of you might know what I’m talking about… I think she needs a tattoo on her arm that says “Brad.” Better yet, “B-Rad.”

The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 157

Understand the past and respect it, but don’t make it your sole guide for what should be your path forward. The past is a guide meant to teach us, not a guide meant to lead us by blind obedience.

Marcus Aurelius

“In the year 170, the most powerful man in the world sat down to write. Not to an audience or for publications, but to himself, for himself. His name was Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of Rome. Miraculously, these writings survive –and contain within them a profound prescription for wisdom, justice, discipline and courage.”

Almost every day I sit down to write. My goal is not to impart wisdom to anyone other than myself. This blog is the result of that effort. There is much that doesn’t find its way into this blog, but what does is material that I hope will remind me of where I’ve been, and where I need to go.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 156

Do not rely on a single source for all your opinions. Use multiple sources to gather information. Consider all those sources carefully before you settle on “the facts.” Remember that even then, the facts you have settled on are ephemeral and are likely to change as history unfolds. Be able to change with them.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 155

If you want to persuade someone to your point of view, beating them with a stick or beating them with your words will not bring about positive results. Don’t say to someone “stop doing that,” or “stop doing that because it is wrong.” Instead, say stop doing that and then provide them with facts to show them why they will benefit by doing so. Those that choose to deny facts cannot be helped. Remember they are in the minority, not the majority.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 154

The attention you pay to any action should always be in proportion to its value. That value is determined by the benefit that will be returned to you and also to the value that will be returned to your fellow beings. It doesn’t matter if that return is recognized or not.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 153

Do not be anxious about the future. Realize instead that unless you are in control of some aspect of man’s destiny (most of us are not in such a position) there is little we can do to control that destiny — beyond those things that are our public duty.

Feeling bad about something that hasn’t happened yet is a choice that we are making. It is a choice that is draining energy from us that could otherwise be put to some worthwhile purpose.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 152

The Stoic dresses in whatever way is customary for the location and situation. The Stoic does not attempt to stand out from the crowd. What makes the Stoic unique is what is inside. Uniqueness threatens and alienates many people. Often it is those people that are most in need of what you have to offer.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 151

Peace of mind is not just about doing a few things as opposed to many things, it is about doing a few things well. That includes avoiding unnecessary things. Doing so gives us the best chance of doing all that we have the ability to accomplish.

Avoid those tasks that are purely driven by vanity. We must focus on eliminating those things that are a waste of our time.

No Kings Rally

My sign for the No Kings Rally on March 28.

Stop Wars Now

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 150

The good life does not consist in its length. The good life is defined by its accomplishments. A long life lived too little is a short life. The best approach is to focus on the task at hand, whatever that is.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 149

You have two voices in your head. Don’t let the “resistance voice” prevent you from doing what you know you should be doing. Listen to the voice that tells you what to do. Ignore the voice that is trying to give you excuses not to do it.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 148

Use philosophy to prepare yourself. The pursuit of wisdom is the best work you can undertake to prepare for any outcome that might befall you.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 147

Choose quality over quantity.

How do you keep up with all.the information, all the books published every year. You don’t. Choose wisely what you consume and absorb carefully what you consume. This is how you fill your mind and enrich your life.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 146

How do you get good at Pickleball? “Learn, practice, train.”

The Stoics knew this. Epictetus in his Discourses said: Don’t be satisfied with mere learning. Learn, practice, train. This is as true with philosophy as it is for athletics. Learn the right thing. Practice the right thing. Train for a lifetime to do the right thing.