Stoicism for a Better Life – Weekly exercise (August 8, 2021)

Hello there,

For this week’s exercise, I am looking for some motivation to focus on the present moment (this is a huge part of what we try and accomplish on a day to day). To that end, I will reach out outside our school for some inspiration (as our school encourages us to do). This is from Gautama Buddha’s teachings known as the Buddha Dharma (not to be confused with the exploited and decrepit version of these nuggets we call Buddhism):

“If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future life, look at your present action. What you are is what you have been, what you will be is what you do now.”

There is a lot to unpack here, but my main objective is this: “focus on your present because it is the only point in time with true consequences to your actions. In other words, we can regret the past and worry about the future, but those are all emotions…fake constructs of our primitive minds…they do not exist in our objective reality. Our choices and intentions for action in the present, however, …. Now that has a tangible impact on our lives. Our actions in the present not only affect the present but also affect the future. 

As a practical exercise this week, try and remind yourself that our actions in the present moment will have far-reaching implications. Let this motivate you to BE THERE when you make decisions. Decisions in the present moment are the only ones that matter. So make sure YOU (the real you – i.e. the rational mind/spirit/soul wtv you wanna call it) is there. Don’t let the auto-pilot highjack your present moment.

“I don’t always give advice…but when I do…it’s sometimes OK.”

Anderson Silver (Stoicism for a Better Life)

Note from Anderson (not part of the exercise, read if interested): 

Guys…remember we’re ALL in it together. Even the ones who you don’t talk to. Even the ones you get annoyed by. Even the ones you have not met yet. We’re all human beings, floating through this thing called life, trying to make sense of it all, find meaning, find a purpose…just to feel like we’re not wasting this precious gift…just to feel like we are not doing something wrong. 

Let us keep helping each other and supporting each other. When times get tough, nothing else makes sense, but to love and connect with other human beings. Whatever your little slice of heaven…you have the choice to be an Agent for Positive Change and show the world that hate, anger, and conflict amongst brothers and sisters is not conducive to happiness at all…for anyone. Let’s stop the divide, the hate and the anger in our own little way, in our own little microcosm. You never know how far reaching your actions may be.