STOICISM: THE MOTIVATION MANIFESTO
I am not alone. I am an element of stoicism. I have been inspired by stoicism fitting my existence on the foundation of virtue/excellence, happiness/fulfilment, prudence /practical wisdom, and justice/morality.
My practical experience with adoption of stoic principles has transformed and shaped the reality that gave me peacefulness and a new perspective on life.
Let’s first understand what stoicism is all about by debunking the concept in simpler terms, so as to give you clarity.
The primary question we often ask ourselves is how should we handle life’s challenges that are put forth at any given time? How should we deal with morality and accept the world as it is that affects us in a million ways?How should we live in peace and how should we die without selfish resentment?
I will try to answer these questions that are never-ending but when it comes to speculative translations, few teachings motivated my learning to answer this in a simple manner.
And all thanks to the originator of benevolent words by characters like Seneca and Epictetus.
Stoicism is basically a mix of all inspirational text that philosophy adopted to all positive predicaments of mindfulness. It’s uncomplicated preaching advice that shares wisdom and virtues to become practically a moral human.
The important things that I adopted out of stoicism are -
Having the right state of mind
Whenever your freedom of choice is compromised, your decision plays a significant role to get rid of the circumstance without hurting yourself or others.The decision in practicality is based on your wisdom, your character, and your understanding of your major highs and painstaking lows.Having the right state of mind in such events, can help us look at challenges in the best possible way.
To ally one’s own fear to tackle any particular event
Imagine an event or catastrophe that you fear the most and undergo visualizing the incident as if happening to oneself. The positive outcome that you can get by doing this is -’dispreferred indifferent' that means it would be really a good thing if such event never happens in the future, but if it did happen, it won’t in any way affect your worth and your wisdom.
Mindfulness
Reminding oneself that 'I not only live in my present but henceforth every decision I make has a moral dimension that needs to be approached with proper care and thoughtfulness’.In modern terms what we say ethics that eventually stands on the principle of stoicism.
Disrupting oneself
Working and doing things in a static environment degrades your thought process. You need to break down the elements in your surrounding, go beyond the limit but drifting control and determine the results on your own
Virtue is the best state of disposition
Virtue is the state on account of which living, breathing human is good, and observant of the laws, is disposed to practical faith and a possessor of wisdom thoughts.
Stoicism basically helps you to clear your mind of all the troubles by looking at it from a different perspective.
I pick up stoic sayings every now and then, script it down in words, read out aloud, and absorb it as much as I can.
This is the daily practice that gives me peace and utmost fulfilment of who I really am.
Here are some words that affected my mindful thoughts by the Great Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus.
“Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?” –Marcus Aurelius
“Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.”-Marcus Aurelius
“No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.”-Seneca
“Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.”-Seneca
“I judge you unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune. You have passed through life without an opponent—no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you.”-Seneca
“People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.”-Seneca
“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well.”-Epictetus
“Curb your desire—don’t set your heart on so many things and you will get what you need.”-Epictetus
“If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone.”-Marcus Aurelius
These words enchanted my perspective towards change, death and shortness of life that I believe are important lessons to adopt in our life.
At the core of stoicism, there is an entire collection of words of wisdom that it is quite impossible literally to cover in a single post.
However, in this post, I will present you some of the best lessons from Stoicism that you can certainly takeaway to bring a change in your own character.
1. The bad experience only affects you only if you return bad experience
In simplistic terms, it means that we should not get upset about the misdeeds of others. The only thing you can do is change them, if possible, but if they are stubborn minded, accept the way it is. Harmony takes birth in the cradle of forgiveness. To accept the despised nature and lead life in harmony.
2. Fame and desires fade into oblivion
The pursuit of fame and desire is mere foolishness. These things fade into oblivion and lead a shortened hindsight on one’s own vanity. The stoicism explains that anything in life could never be made better by praise, as the appraisal is often the static deterioration of one’s own mortality. The desire for fame leads us to act immorally. The desire for utmost fame leads one to be more evil out of anger and resentment. And death pursues his existence with no virtues to embrace.
3. The universal truth is change
The eternal changing nature of the universe is the prime truth. We need to accept that we don’t gain or lose anything in the same eternity. All we do is accept and lead the way through it on the foundation of wisdom and vice. Change is the beginning of life and death as it transforms the internal and external belongings by being in harmony with nature.
4.Problems do not exist ,you create it
Our perception of events is the finest cure and the upsetting symptom of our experience that leads our character. We as humans should wipe off impressions of problems before they exist and if they exist, lead through it unaffected.
The stoics have a core belief that our job as humans is to be good and do good. Make choices that embrace happiness, acceptance, respect and moral ethics under its wings to lead a better life.
