Continuous Improvement Mindset and Stoicism...
- Brenda Mroch
- Oct 18, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Do you strive to continue to learn as your life goes on? Do you want to live a more productive and peaceful life?!? That is a big yes and yes for me ❤
The Stoics, well... they had a way of thinking which is unique, and it truly resonates with me on a very personal level. So, my thoughts were... if these teachings resonate with me, maybe they will help you as well.
I'm not sure how I stumbled upon a channel on YouTube regarding Stoicism...but what is so cool... is that it has turned out to be a favorite channel of mine. When the message was about Continuous Improvement in that first video I watched, well... I was hooked immediately, being that I live my life believing in those exact principles. The suggestions for living life on this particular channel are priceless, and I am excited to share them with you!
What is Stoicism...Stoicism is a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom: something a person can use to live a good life, accepting the ups and downs of life without judgement.
Stoicism does acknowledge there is a thread that connects us all...which I interpret as the Holy Spirit.
They also encourage to accept the flow of life... Hmmmm?...like having Faith?!?
A lot of history’s great minds not only understood Stoicism for what it truly is, many sought it out: George Washington, Walt Whitman, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Just to mention a few...they all read, studied, quoted, or admired the Stoics.
A fundamental teaching of Stoicism is that the only thing that should be judged as good or bad is our very own character.
Certain mindfulness meditation practices, too, teach us to discard labels of good or bad. Doing this leaves us with a neutrality that is open to embracing all that comes onto our path in life...helping us to go with the flow of life... leaving us with a knowing that all is as it should be.
Our imagination is masterful at painting all sorts of dark projections of this or that future outcome. Our brains tend to assess risk and fear unfavorable outcomes at times. But, we can temper them fears with mindful awareness, and say to ourselves ‘I don’t know if this outcome will be good or bad, but I’ll embrace it nonetheless.’
Stoics believe in a rational divine order; they also recognized the importance of human free will.
Stoicism teaches that while we cannot control external events, we can only control our internal reactions to them.
For the Stoics, God provides the framework of the universe and the natural laws that govern it.
However, it is up to individuals to align their will with reason and virtue or not. In this way, our free will allows us choices on how we respond to the challenges and opportunities that life presents us with.
For my life, I have made a conscious choice to stay open minded to any and all tools that may cross my path, that could possibly help me find that inner peace I am always striving for. Each morning, I enter my special space where I pray, sometimes do Yoga...and usually listen to something informative/positive to set the tone for my day ahead. The Stoicism channel on YouTube has become one of my tools.
There are words/phrases which were all new to me, that is before tapping into this Stoic world. One example is the phrase Amor Fati...
Amor Fati is a Latin phrase that may be translated as "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary.
In Stoicism, Amor Fati is a binding thread that ties together a few different teachings of Stoic philosophy. Without Amor Fati, you can’t master The Dichotomy of Control, which is ignoring what is not within your control so that you can focus fully on what is within your control.
Amor Fati is about saying yes to life. It’s about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
The part of Amor Fati that most requires our attention and practice is embracing fear, doubt, loss, and negative emotions. The fact that life is a two-sided coin, it is critical we learn to embrace it all. Remember... there is
no joy without pain. There is no excitement without boredom, no growth without fear, no light without darkness.
To practice Amor Fati, we must begin to roll with the punches that life throws at us, because resisting against the forces of nature and what is, well that is a lost cause.
We need to loosen our grip on any outcome and bring humility to our judgments and ego...Ultimately, letting go and letting God (the Universe) or whatever you call that deep light of goodness which ties us all together...have Faith and just know... that All is as it should be and learn what you can from everything you experience in this life...run with it and become the best you...you can be every day!
Below are a few of what I believe to be... "Wise Quotes" to ponder from some famous Stoics...
“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.” — Marcus Aurelius
“All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment; action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way.” — Marcus Aurelius
“No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.” — Seneca
“If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions not outside.” — Marcus Aurelius
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
“It isn’t events themselves that disturb people, but only their judgements about them.” — Epictetus
“To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.” — Marcus Aurelius
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” — Epictetus
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be One.” — Marcus Aurelius
“The primary indication of a well-ordered mind is a man’s ability to remain in one place and linger in his own company.” — Seneca
“All things are in the care of God, and everything happens for the good of the whole.” — Marcus Aurelius
If you are interested in viewing a few videos from channels I enjoy and find informative about Stoicism, as well as another helpful video from a very smart guy named Joe Dispenza...and another Daily Jesus video... click on the links below and check them out! I hope you hear something useful which you can apply to your own life ❤
Choose Faith...and Always Love...xo
Brenda
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