I’ve started jokingly adding a line to my dialogue that I think exemplifies a key mindset of the Stoics. It’s something simple, but it expresses a Stoics acceptance of what the Universe wills.
When I drop shit or spill something at work or home, I’ve started saying, “Nice, that’s exactly where I wanted that.” From there, I continue doing what I was doing or restart the drink I just messed up.
It may not seem like much, but in thinking about it more, I think it’s a powerful mindset to have if used on a larger scale,
The Stoics encourage acceptance – whatever Nature chooses to hit you with, you take it and you work with it. There’s no complaining or wishing things played out differently. There’s only letting the world do as it pleases and learning to live with it and use it to your advantage. So when you have a mindset of “Hell yeah, this is exactly what I wanted!” you don’t see hiccups in a bad light.
You can use this for anything you deal with on a regular basis – stuck in traffic, rude customers, making mistakes, rejection, whatever. If something “bad” happens, you understand that it was meant to and you switch your focus to being grateful.
We have no way to know what each day will bring, so it’s better to have no expectations and to be hyped about whatever does come our way. It’s a simple switch from getting pissed to saying “hell yeah!”. It’ll take some practice, but if it’s something you want to try, start doing it. Catch yourself when you feel the anger rise and remind yourself that this is exactly how you hoped life would be.
October 18, 2024
