Life On A B-I7

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 145

Thinking about the future, thinking about the past, is easy. Real thinking is to focus on what is in front of us. What you do today might be the last thing you ever do.

Momento Mori

A Latin phrase meaning “remember that you will die.” The phrase is a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life. Ancient Romans used the phrase to inspire humility, perspective, and urgency. It is intended to encouraging people to live fully, value time, and avoid wasting life.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 144

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 143

Which is preferred, theories alone or conduct based on theories that have been tested and proven to be of value…

Conduct takes precedence over theory every day in every way.

As Hamlet said:

”There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Philosophy (theories) alone will not lead to a good life. Only action taken based on sound philosophy can bring us fulfillment.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 142

When something is told to you, don’t allow yourself to embellish that news with your own thoughts and opinions. It’s news and that’s all it is until it has been verified. The wise man verifies carefully. In other words, he uses an enquiring mind to examine the news from all possible angles before determining what is fact and what is fiction. Even then, the door to clearer understanding is never closed.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 141

“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.”

It’s not about “settling.” It’s about not getting overwhelmed by idealism. Don’t look at the world through the lens of where you want the world to be, look at the world as it is and ask, what is it I should be doing to effect change?

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 140

Abraham Lincoln was humble, self-educated and well spoken. He was deliberate, fair, open-minded and purposeful. He did all that while following a career as a politician.

It doesn’t matter if you live in the snake pit of D.C., the materialist zoo of Wall Street or you grew up in a small closed minded community, you have a choice.

You can still live well. Others have managed to do it.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 139

When things look dim, stop and take another look. The simple act of stopping and allowing our thoughts to seek a new perspective can often be enough to turn things around. We simply need to give our brains enough space to come up with a solution. Stop, breathe, allow the mind to work through whatever it is that has us stymied.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 138

Silence is strength.

Weak people will be the last to subscribe to that idea, but that shouldn’t be surprising. Silence is a sign of intelligence. There are two types of people in the world, those that are fear based and those that are open to learning. It is a spectrum of varying degrees but the point is that everyone can be found somewhere on that scale. It’s how our brains are wired. The key to being open to learning is to listen. There is another way of looking at silence. “The more you say, the more likely you are to look foolish.” Not only that, but the more you say the more likely you are to ignore. The more likely you are to not learn something new. Silence is the guardian at the gates of learning.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 137

Stop blaming life and others and set your terms based on what is right and truthful. Stop following. Instead, choose the path that will lead to respect. Respect for yourself and respect from others.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 136

Do we need the perfect surroundings before we pursue our passion, or is it good enough to just go do it and not wait until circumstances and the environment are perfect?

Do what we need or want to do and do it wherever you happen to be. The place to do your work is wherever you are. The good life can be lived anywhere.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 135

How do we respond to a turn of fate? That is a question we should all give thought to before it becomes a necessity. The purpose of life is to learn. A difficult turn of events should be viewed as an opportunity to learn. Learn within the space we are granted and accept that which we are unable to do any longer.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 134

Here’s some of the best Stoic advice I think I’ve read so far. I can get behind this. Don’t expect perfection. The keyword there is “expect.”

This morning I took apart one of my favorite framed pictures. I wanted to put a label behind the glass describing where the picture was taken and when. I accomplished that easily. After I was finished and the picture was reassembled and rehung, I noticed that the label I had placed on the mat in the lower portion of the frame wasn’t perfectly straight. At first I thought about taking it apart and placing a new label under the glass, then I realized it was good enough. Not perfect, but good enough. Would other people notice? As soon as I realized that wasn’t likely, I settled down and made the conscious decision to call my efforts satisfactory.

The bottom line: Don’t let petty annoyances distract us from what we should be doing… The world is not perfect. Do what we can to make it better, but at the same time, don’t obsess over every little thing.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 133

“We must not get so wrapped up in our work that we are immune from the reality of aging and life.”

If you are a public servant it is on you to know when to step out of the spotlight and retire. Sadly, many people in public service have no concept of this principle. I can think of many examples, I’m sure you can too. I’m also sure we are both right.

As I was writing this, my cat came and sat by my side as if to remind me what is most important, namely, taking care of those around us that need us. That extends to the responsibility held by public servants as well as us ordinary folk.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 132

Real joy takes work. To dismiss the woes of the world to be cheerful is good but to feel joy, the dismissal must be done with proper intention or sadness can result. True joy takes cultivation. Living with purpose, living with excellence, living with an understanding of your duty, that is the cultivation of true joy. That is the joy that surpasses cheerfulness. The beauty of following this path is that others will see that as an inspiration.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 131

There is philosophy, and there is the practice of philosophy. Study can lead to understanding. Practice can lead to a better self. It is essential that one do both.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 130

We are advised by the Stoics to be understanding and patient with other people. The person we are dealing with may not have grown up with the same advantages that we have. The more tolerant and patient we can be, the more helpful we can be. Isn’t that our true responsibility? I admit to failing at this goal more often than I would like to admit. The goal is to keep trying. My desire for myself and for my country is to keep striving in this direction. It begins with our speech and it extends to making sure those we choose to lead us also are also striving in this direction.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 129

There are three question that we should keep foremost in our consciousness throughout the day:

1. Desire. Are we letting it dictate our actions?
2. Impulse. Are we acting impulsively or for the right reasons?
3. Reason. Are we using reason to guide our actions?

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 128

Look at the world around you and seek out that which is good. Once you notice the good around you, acknowledge it. This will free you from the evil that would otherwise weigh you down.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 127

The more desires we have the less free we are. Our goals need to be in keeping with our means and our ability. Having goals we cannot achieve binds us and ultimately inhibits our growth.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 126

While money is important for living, having money never fixes what is wrong inside of us.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 125

Spend a few minutes at the end of each day examining how you lived. If you don’t take stock of your day you will be prone to repeating mistakes over and over. Writing is practicing. Writing at the beginning and end of each day is good exercise for your mind and can help you grow.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 124

The secret to life, according to Marcus Aurelius, is to keep an untroubled spirit. In other words, think positively not negatively. If you hear someone speaking negatively, consider it chatter and dismiss it. “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” Mind and reality are a closed loop. Thoughts create words, words create actions, actions create thoughts. It all starts with your mind and how you engage it.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 123

1. Don’t start your day by picking up your phone.
2. Don’t eat in a hurry.
3. Drink water before coffee.
4. Avoid things that cause stress.
5. Avoid overexposure to noise.
6. Go outside.
7. Pay attention to your breathing.
8. Don’t end your day by picking up your phone.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 122

Don’t spend time overthinking the simple stuff. Invariably the small things take care of themselves. Our job is to take care of what is in front of us, whatever that is today. Focus on that and do the best we can. Getting lost in distractions or other people’s business prevents us from reaching today’s goal. By approaching today’s goal with clarity we will not only achieve that goal, but as an added benefit, we will also achieve serenity.

Stoic Thought of the Day — Day 121

Pick out someone wise and study them. Observe what they do as well as what they don’t do. Make it your job to emulate them to the best of your ability. Let them serve as your model and your inspiration.