Taking The Bite Out Of It

The Daily Stoic for December 30th, “Taking The Bite Out Of It”.

“To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength and burden. —SENECA, HERCULES OETAEUS, 231–232”

Today’s stoic meditation talks again about this formula for being able to face any adversity, from small daily grievances to death: the calm, reasoned mind.

As I have not yet reached that point of stoicism, unfortunately, I will not comment on it again. Still afraid to die, still feel like I have so much to do yet. 

I’m getting used to the idea that I am going to die, and it does not have the same power that it used to have… but that’s only because it sounds like something unfeasible today, and perhaps tomorrow…

Taking The Bite Out Of It

So changing topics, I would like to comment on something today’s stoic meditation affirms:

“The people you admire, the ones who seem to be able to successfully handle and deal with adversity and difficulty, what do they have in common? Their sense of equilibrium, their orderly discipline. On the one-yard line, in the midst of criticism, after a heartbreaking tragedy, during a stressful period, they keep going.”

The People I admire are, in fact, nothing like that. They are not heroes. I don’t have any heroes or models to follow. But if I admire somebody, it may be my father and mother, and my husband. They are human beings, unlike the ones depicted above.

They don’t have this sense of equilibrium, or orderly discipline. I don’t know how they will react after a heartbreaking tragedy. My mother has survived a cancer thanks to my father being there everyday with her. And my husband is that kind of person that makes you smile and keep going even in the darkest, bleakest day.

They are not heroes, but I don’t need them to be. They are much better precisely because they are human, they are imperfect, and I can believe them, and believe in them.

Conclusion

On today’s Daily Stoic, “Taking The Bite Out Of It”, I talked about a completely different topic. Who are the people I admire, and why.