What do you want out of life?
You might answer this question by saying that you want a caring spouse, a good job, and a nice house, but these are really just some of the things you want in life. In asking what you want out of life, I am asking the question in its broadest sense. I am asking not for the goals you form as you go about your daily activities but for your grand goal in living. In other words, of the things in life you might pursue, which is the thing you believe to be most valuable? Many people will have trouble naming this goal. They know what they want minute by minute or even decade by decade during their life, but they have never paused to consider their grand goal in living. It is perhaps understandable that they haven’t. Our culture doesn’t encourage people to think about such things; indeed, it provides them with an endless stream of distractions so they won’t ever have to. But a grand goal in living is the fi rst component of a philosophy of life. This means that if you lack a grand goal in living, you lack a coherent philosophy of life.
Why is it important to have such a philosophy?
Because without one, there is a danger that you will mislive—that despite all your activity, despite all the pleasant diversions you might have enjoyed while alive, you will end up living a bad life. There is, in other words, a danger that when you are on your deathbed, you will look back and realize that you wasted your one chance at living. Instead of spending your life pursuing something genuinely valuable, you squandered it because you allowed yourself to be distracted by the various baubles life has to offer.
How to practice stoicism in 5 easy steps
If you are interested in practising stoicism, here are 5 easy steps to get started:
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Time management
Stoics understand that time is something we don’t own and are often completely absorbed with our work and other outside activities. This doesn’t mean that you should neglect your family or yourself, but the key to controlling your time is understanding the way in which you use it. Having a clear goal is very important in a stoic lifestyle because it allows us to efficiently allocate our time rather than letting it slip by inefficiently.
Simple pleasures
Stoics do what they enjoy, not because they want material things like money, but because they know only natural pleasures will last. They mainly focus on “prosperity in poverty” because they understand that a life without any suffering is much better than a life full of suffering. This also includes acquiring wealth and becoming successful, but the reason why stoics insist on wanting prosperity in poverty is that it allows them to live frugally without worrying about their possessions.
Accepting “life as it is”
In a stoic system of living, absolute tranquillity should not be strived for. Instead, the key to happiness is learning to accept things for what they are. Acceptance and composure are important in this system of living because they allow us to be at peace with the current state of our life. They also allow us to handle difficult situations properly and efficiently.
Avoid unhealthy emotions
Stoic people recognise that harmful emotions, like fear and anger, are destructive and hinder rational judgement. They, therefore, strive to avoid these emotions as much as possible by understanding their causes and ignoring things that will trigger these unnecessary emotions in themselves. An example of this stoic behaviour is ignoring other people’s opinions of you – because it is only your opinion of yourself that matters. If other people disagree with you then let them think what they want, because the truth will always shine through eventually.
Practise meditation
Stoics understand that the mind is the source of most problems. They, therefore, try to meditate as much as possible and accept their thoughts. When faced with a difficult problem, they don’t waste time trying to figure it out or solve it, but instead free their mind from all worry and allow themselves to let go of whatever is causing them stress.