Today has been three months and a week since I last had a job. Unlike many colleagues in technology, I knew it was coming. I was working contracts, and this last one had a hard stop on December 15. So I had planned –and saved– accordingly.
As I’ve written before, I consider myself very fortunate to have secured the kind of contracts I did this past year, working with globally recognized brands implementing their product information management system and meeting and working with remarkable teams along the way.
Finding oneself without work for so long, however, threatens a lifestyle that has been hard fought. This can instill some insecurity about our entire life: financial situation, career choices, just about every decision, the future, and so much more. It can be distressing, to the point of depression.
Not This Time
This time, the experience has been different, and I know exactly why.
Just over two years ago I subscribed to Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic, and started a path of self improvement unlike any other I’ve tried before (And I have tried quite a few). What appealed to me about philosophy is that it explores wisdom rationally, critically. And in his newsletter, he covers teaches it with mastery.
Stoicism specifically, is very pragmatic. At its core, one of the main teachings is that nothing is under our control other than our thoughts and reactions about reality. This approach alone can produce instant improvement in our life, as we learn to control our thoughts and reactions by way of a very simple exercise: “I can’t control what just happened so, what I the best I can think or do about it”.
Think about all the things that we let upset us, sometimes to a point of paralysis: Work, Weather, Relationships, Politics, etc. We don’t really control any of this, but we can become better about how we deal with them.
To deal with the realities of life Stoicism encourages living by four virtues:
Courage – in the form of bravery, fortitude, honor, sacrifice. With Courage, we can get better at facing life’s challenges, speaking truth to power, even dealing with death.
Temperance or discipline. Imagine a world that celebrates the disciplined pursuit of these virtues, and how much better the world would be for it.
Justice – to be fair, of service, kind. Imagine a world based on a moral compass that seeks the common good.
Wisdom – to seek knowledge, education, truth, self-reflection, and serenity. One could easily make the point that seeking this one virtue would be enough for our wellbeing.
And so, studying Stoicism has provided me with a framework for life I didn’t have before. I find myself now calm in the face of stressful situations, making better choices about my physical and mental health, and with the courage and determination to continue my efforts in self-improvement, fight for justice, and search for wisdom.
Room For Improvement
Something Stoicism –and Stoics– acknowledge is that we’re likely going to stumble along the way. This is not about dogma, nor becoming a zealot. Stoicism, like all self improvement, is a practice. A lifelong practice a that. In the words of Stephen Covey:
“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”
I’ve grown, I know that much. But I also know I have much more to grow than I have, and I’m here for it.
P.S. If you would like to learn more about Stoicism but don’t want to subscribe to yet another newsletter, I encourage you to read What Is Stoicism? A Definition & 9 Stoic Exercises To Get You Started by Ryan Holiday.
Photo by Mark König on Unsplash
A great summery of stoicism and an inspiring message. I am currently on my fourth year of reading the Daily Stoic. It has changed my thinking and therefore my life. I always marvel at the first notes I wrote at the bottom of the page and how I was, “getting it,” how I was beginning to find my way.