Stoicism for a Better Life – Weekly exercise (August 15, 2021)

Hello there,

I received a few messages appreciating the theme last week, so I will stick with another beast of philosophy for life Lau Tzu:

“Do you have the patience to wait? Till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving? Till the right action arises by itself?”

Translation: Even the muddiest water will turn clear if it remains still enough. 

On this beautiful Sunday, I can sense the collective “What do I get done today? How will I get it all done? etc. “ And you will recall that at the core of our philosophy, our school teaches us to slow down and look inwards. We cannot possibly make the right decisions in life if we are not given the time and resources to make a proper, fair, calculated decision. And if we are always rushing, chances are we are focused at the task at hand, and not in the moment. 

So for this week’s exercise, I offer you this simple meditation: STOP. Give yourself the gift of time by slowing down or stopping your busy life…even if for a brief moment. 5 minutes…15 minutes…if you can stop, sit, stare, listen to yourself and your mind only…the right ideas, decisions, and judgments of impressions will befall you.

Keep bettering yourselves my friends. You only have your freedom to gain.

Anderson Silver (Stoicism for a Better Life)