📖 Current Read; 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living — Ryan Holiday
Life Is A Battlefield
The Daily Stoic Meditation for June 13 outlines how every life, including yours, is war.
Your life is a battle, one you must tackle daily, as if you were a soldier out in the trenches!
Photo by November Wong on Unsplash
“Don’t you know life is like a military campaign? One must serve on watch, another in reconnaissance, another on the front line. . . . So it is for us — each person’s life is a kind of battle, and a long and varied one too. You must keep watch like a soldier and do everything commanded. . . . You have been stationed in a key post, not some lowly place, and not for a short time but for life.”
— EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.24.31–36
Life Is War
Vivere est militare
To live is to fight.
Your life is war.
Your life is a battle.
No, it may not be as gruelling, as tragic and as fast paced as war within the trenches.
But, your life is still a battle, one way or another.
Your body, each day, fights with strange bacteria to keep you healthy.
There’s a frequent battle between the heart and the mind, logic over emotion.
There is a massive battle between species, all of which are trying to survive in the difficult conditions.
Consciously or not, you fight a million battles each day!
The Daily Fight
You have a responsibility to fight for yourself, day in day out.
Rather than fighting for your country out in murky fields, you must fight for yourself.
You must fight for your own happiness.
You must fight for your own success.
Every day, you are fighting against;
- Distraction
- Negativity
- Drains
- Toxicity
You are fighting against many sources to ensure that you can reach your goals, and live the greatest life possible!
If You Want To Win The War
There’s a few virtues necessary if you want to win the battle.
- Discipline
- Fortitude
- Courage
- Clearheadedness
- Selflessness
- Sacrifice
If You Want To Lose The War
Conversely, there’s also attributes that can help you lose the war.
- Cowardice
- Rashness
- Disorganisation
- Overconfidence
- Weakness
- Selfishness
There’s a clear difference between those who win and those who lose.
Ensure that you cultivate the virtues on the winning side when going out to fight the battle of daily life!
Idea of the Week. 💭
Be Prepared & Active
A short piece outlining the importance of always being prepared and active.
If you cultivate those two virtues, no matter the situation, you will be able to face it.
Lacking Preparation & Action
Many people lack preparation, action and other necessary skills.
Many simply haven’t taken the time to cultivate these qualities, or do not know their importance.
—
Lacking preparation and action can be fatal.
When you lack preparation, even the tiniest obstacle can throw you off the course.
When you lack action, it’s unlikely that you will even move the needle!
Prepared
You must be prepared.
You must learn, train and practice.
You cannot let the circumstance catch you off guard!
You must be prepared to face whatever fate has in store for you — this is achieved through preparation.
Active
You must be active.
You must have enough discipline and desire to get up and get moving.
You cannot expect everyone else to do the work. You cannot expect progress if you do not work for it.
You must be active. You must take control of your life.
Quote of the Week. 🗣
Sun Tzu on finding opportunity where you’d least expect it.
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.
Do not let yourself get so caught up in the chaos.
Do not let your intelligence, strategies and mindset fall during a hard time.
Instead, stay true to yourself and your virtues.
Prioritise seeing the good, and the opportunity, in the chaos.
The obstacle is the way.
To end, here’s a question from me! ⚡️
How can you make time to care for yourself even when incredibly busy?
The word care could mean anything;
- Exercise
- Hanging out with friends
- Working on a fun project
- Travelling
- Skincare
Whatever you do, take time to enjoy your life!
Do not get caught up in the chaos.
Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Sam. 😆
