Show The Qualities You Are Made For

The Daily Stoic for October 23rd, “Show The Qualities You Are Made For”.

“People aren’t in awe of your sharp mind? So be it. But you have many other qualities you can’t claim to have been deprived of at birth. Display then those qualities in your own power: honesty, dignity, endurance, chastity, contentment, frugality, kindness, freedom, persistence, avoiding gossip, and magnanimity.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.5

I always thought that what we are, it’s because of ourselves. There’s this eternal struggle between genetics and environment… The nature versus nurture debate. Probably, one of the oldest discussions in philosophy.

In that specific debate, I lean toward the “nurture” than the “nature“. The place we grew up in, our education, parents, friends… That has a more powerful influence, in my opinion, that our genes.

Show The Qualities You Are Made For

However, I’m convinced that we can change who we are. No matter our genes. No matter where we grew up. No matter our education, or our social status. 

Today, in the world of globalization, of the internet, of $100 startups, of online business… we all have an opportunity.

As today’s daily stoic mentions, it’s just a matter of choice. Of making the right choices… Well, I’ve done lots of bad choices, but in the end, it’s a matter of starting making good ones until hopefully the sum of good choices kind of balance the bad ones, and take you where you want to be.

You’ve never too old to change your path. There’s always something you can do. That’s what I’ve learned during these thirty-eight years on earth. Actually, it has a lot more merit. So don’t be afraid, show the rest of the world what you are made of. Ultimately, you are the only architect of your life. Some of us have been given better cards at the life deck, and some of us have not been that lucky. But in the end, it’s your choices that matter most.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “Show The Qualities You Are Made For”, discusses how our genes or environment obviously play an important role in our lives, but it’s our choices who finally determine who we are.