Your article reminds me of some leadership advice that my mentor gave me. She said "True leadership isn't about controlling the direction of the wind, but deciding whether to fight the gale or set the sails—great leaders don't just endure the unavoidable, they turn disruption into their primary strategy." Thank you for this concise but impactful writing.
From time to time, I’ve been referred to by others, even a physician once, as a stoic. I was never sure of their definition or that I understood it myself. When I found your Substack I decided to follow it to see what I could learn about Stoicism. I’m still not certain that I know what those folks meant, but I do have a better understanding of Stoicism. If the basic philosophy differentiates emotional reactivity from self control or the desire for self mastery, then I agree that fits me. As a woman at age 84, I never want to stop learning, so I just finished reading The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. In college I didn’t have the opportunity to take a course in
Philosophy, or if it was offered, I passed it over thinking it was “ethereal” “pie in the sky” and not practical. But, in my old age I have far more interest in examining what has made me who I am and why I have the temperament and belief system I do. Your Substack has led to my exploration of the Stoics and what I might have yet to learn about life’s bigger questions and myself in relation to the whole. I plan to read Epictetus next. Thank you!
I love the first part of the Marcus Aurelius quote... “Love what happens to you and what is woven into your life."
The emphasis for me is the YOU and YOUR life. I take that as what happens to me is uniquely mine. These situations, these trials, these struggles, these victories to be had are mine. Why? Because they are placed before me. That gives me some form of agency in my life. I find that empowering, especially in those unwanted situations that I am learning how to accept, then refrain in my mind so I can learn from them. Thank you for this. I almost didn't read it, but am sure glad I did.
My dad said a few months before he passed away in 2011. He said, 'I've lived my life by taking everything in my stride and went along with every worry or obstacle that life through my way. But, I kept moving forward.' I'm paraphrasing him. Reading this article reminded me of this. No matter what happens to us, we have to keep moving.
This article made me think of something I’ve been toying with as a possibility. Which is that our soul chooses our life, experiences, and connections in order for it to evolve and develop. If that is the case we’ve pre-selected fate! Shifting gears here, a productive way of not getting dragged along is the ability to reframe how and what we see in life experiences. “Love what happens to you, and what is woven into your life!” ~M.A.
I loved this article! I’m writing a note for my bathroom mirror….”You cannot bargain with reality” (from question 4). I really need this daily reminder!
the dog image is the whole argument: constraint becomes freedom once you stop fighting the cart. makes me wonder how long my own leash actually is, and whether i've been arguing with the wrong end of it.
“Suppose you could change the past, what would disappear with it?” I think we change it more often than we admit. Memory is not a recording. In 1932 Frederic Bartlett showed that people rebuild a story each time they retell it, and in 2000 Karim Nader’s lab found that a fear memory in rats, once recalled, has to be stored again before it is kept. So the past I carry is partly a thought I am having today. If I could rewrite it, what would disappear is the version where the hard years were the price of who I became. The real question for me is which version I keep rebuilding.
All that you are teaching me are very valuable.I’ve started a new life and a new direction. I’m 42 years old and I have finished the high school and I’m ready for the next step “university “ .Marcus Aurelius is my favorite philosopher.I want to be my best own person.
“I’m different than everyone else and I choose to be the best version of myself “
Your article reminds me of some leadership advice that my mentor gave me. She said "True leadership isn't about controlling the direction of the wind, but deciding whether to fight the gale or set the sails—great leaders don't just endure the unavoidable, they turn disruption into their primary strategy." Thank you for this concise but impactful writing.
From time to time, I’ve been referred to by others, even a physician once, as a stoic. I was never sure of their definition or that I understood it myself. When I found your Substack I decided to follow it to see what I could learn about Stoicism. I’m still not certain that I know what those folks meant, but I do have a better understanding of Stoicism. If the basic philosophy differentiates emotional reactivity from self control or the desire for self mastery, then I agree that fits me. As a woman at age 84, I never want to stop learning, so I just finished reading The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. In college I didn’t have the opportunity to take a course in
Philosophy, or if it was offered, I passed it over thinking it was “ethereal” “pie in the sky” and not practical. But, in my old age I have far more interest in examining what has made me who I am and why I have the temperament and belief system I do. Your Substack has led to my exploration of the Stoics and what I might have yet to learn about life’s bigger questions and myself in relation to the whole. I plan to read Epictetus next. Thank you!
Also useful to learn to meditate, if you are interested in yourself.
I love the first part of the Marcus Aurelius quote... “Love what happens to you and what is woven into your life."
The emphasis for me is the YOU and YOUR life. I take that as what happens to me is uniquely mine. These situations, these trials, these struggles, these victories to be had are mine. Why? Because they are placed before me. That gives me some form of agency in my life. I find that empowering, especially in those unwanted situations that I am learning how to accept, then refrain in my mind so I can learn from them. Thank you for this. I almost didn't read it, but am sure glad I did.
My dad said a few months before he passed away in 2011. He said, 'I've lived my life by taking everything in my stride and went along with every worry or obstacle that life through my way. But, I kept moving forward.' I'm paraphrasing him. Reading this article reminded me of this. No matter what happens to us, we have to keep moving.
Thank you for bringing back a good memory of him.
Very comforting .
This article made me think of something I’ve been toying with as a possibility. Which is that our soul chooses our life, experiences, and connections in order for it to evolve and develop. If that is the case we’ve pre-selected fate! Shifting gears here, a productive way of not getting dragged along is the ability to reframe how and what we see in life experiences. “Love what happens to you, and what is woven into your life!” ~M.A.
I loved this article! I’m writing a note for my bathroom mirror….”You cannot bargain with reality” (from question 4). I really need this daily reminder!
the dog image is the whole argument: constraint becomes freedom once you stop fighting the cart. makes me wonder how long my own leash actually is, and whether i've been arguing with the wrong end of it.
Interesting
“Suppose you could change the past, what would disappear with it?” I think we change it more often than we admit. Memory is not a recording. In 1932 Frederic Bartlett showed that people rebuild a story each time they retell it, and in 2000 Karim Nader’s lab found that a fear memory in rats, once recalled, has to be stored again before it is kept. So the past I carry is partly a thought I am having today. If I could rewrite it, what would disappear is the version where the hard years were the price of who I became. The real question for me is which version I keep rebuilding.
I am not stoic at all, I wish to be, if one can learn endurance… I need to read Marcus Aurelius- the book is waiting somewhere on the shelves…
Hello !
Thank you fot your free time lessons 🙏
All that you are teaching me are very valuable.I’ve started a new life and a new direction. I’m 42 years old and I have finished the high school and I’m ready for the next step “university “ .Marcus Aurelius is my favorite philosopher.I want to be my best own person.
“I’m different than everyone else and I choose to be the best version of myself “
Ha this sounds like Tai chi leadership I wrote about.