I stumbled onto a particular book that I asked to get for Christmas. (No, I could not trace the steps that led me to that book-- it could have been one of the daily emails I get or it could have been from a quote I saw somewhere...I just keep a list of things that sound interesting, so that I have a few ideas for when my birthday or Christmas rolls around.)
The book: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance and the Art of Living
I like "daily" readings. It includes writings by historical people I've heard of but didn't really know much about (Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius). And who doesn't like to persevere and gain wisdom?! So it made my list, and ended up under the Christmas tree with my name on it!
So now I'm learning about the Stoic philosophy.
The main idea: Accept what you can and can't control: you can't control the world around you, only how you think & respond - with courage, temperance, wisdom, and justice.
Basically:
I think there is some analysis that stoicism is archaic and depressing, but I actually see lots of the goodness in it like living simply, finding beauty and joy in every day and recognizing that our actions impact others. Although, it is likely that I'm just focusing on the things that already align with my values! (ie. confirmation bias)
I'm enjoying a bit of philosophical reading each day, and bonus: it's got 366 entries -- perfect for 2024, which happens to be a leap year! Serendipity.
And now I've got a new item on "my list"!
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