No Excuses

The Daily Stoic for June 29th. “No Excuses”.

“It is possible to curb your arrogance, to overcome pleasure and pain, to rise above your ambition, and to not be angry with stupid and ungrateful people—yes, even to care for them.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.8

“God is a concept by which we measure our pain“, wrote John Lennon, and he was right. In the same sense, excuses are concepts by which we measure our fears.

When I was thinking of quitting my job and becoming a freelancer, or later, my mind was racing with excuses: “I am too old for that“, “I have a very good, steady job”, “I won’t be able to make a living…”. Later, when I was considering becoming a digital nomad, I faced a similar situation. Those were my fears crystalizing into excuses.

No Excuses

Today I and my partner were talking to a fellow digital nomad. He mentioned something very interesting:

“We all make our choices in our lives, we give up something, and let go of some stuff to be able to enjoy other things”. And that’s true. We all make our choices in life. In order to make a bold move, and take an important step, you need to do some sacrifices. You will let some things behind in order to embrace new things.

Myself, I got to get rid of my piano to declutter my life and travel the world… It was a question of balance, and I decided it was worth the sacrifice.

It’s scary, yes, but it’s also exciting. And makes you grow. 

So stop making excuses, stop justifying your fears, and stop thinking of a gloomy future. Consider what could be the worst scenario, and get ready to avoid it, or get your way out of it if necessary. But don’t let your fears become excuses and paralyze you.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “No Excuses”, suggests us to avoid letting our fears crystalize into excuses that prevent us from changing, growing or evolving.