The wise mind walks the middle path guided by logic on one side and intuition on the other. The Stoics often get judged and labeled as devoid of emotion. This couldn’t be further from the truth. They do however recognize that emotions must be regulated in order to harness their true power and benefit. The […]
Stoicism In Star Trek Read More »
I love this question for a few reasons. First, the answer is typically a binary yes or no and that helps with clarity. Another reason is that the language of the questions is not seeking a subjective judgement of quality or morality. Perhaps my favorite reason is that we can use it to challenge our
Is this helping me, or is it getting in my way? Read More »
From the Stoic perspective, gaining control of our impulses allows us to be intentional about living the life we want to live. Oftentimes I think this is viewed as raw discipline and or a brute force method of self control. Fortunately there are ways to train our minds to be a more effective tool for
Controlling Impulses Read More »
If you find yourself living at the mercy and whim of raging emotions this may be a sign you need to increase your capability and capacity to regulate your emotions. In the years that I have been studying philosophy I often see quippy snippets of wisdom that advocate for some form of emotional control or
Regulating Emotions Read More »
I get to spend this weekend working with Vantage Point Foundation helping my fellow veterans make peace with the past, become more present in the moment, and discover their purpose for the future. For me this is game time. It is the reason I study and train. My hope is that I can be at
Not everything matters and you don’t have to care. I have to tell you it feels good to write that, and at the same time I have a sense that reading it might “split the room.” The idea I am digging at here is the pressure we sometimes feel to get involved cognitively or emotionally
Not everything matters and you don’t have to care. Read More »
Focusing on the task at hand can feel overwhelming in a world of constant distraction and interruption. I think there is an inclination to blame modern distractions like phones, email, streaming, marketing, advertising, and every other external factor for our inability to stay on task or in the moment. What I’m about to say might
Fighting Overwhelm Read More »
Society and popular culture puts a lot of pressure on us to “be yourself.” There are a lot of presumptions that go into quippy catch phrases like this, not the least of which is that we have the slightest idea of what we want ourselves to be. Thankfully, we have the capability and capacity to
You Are More Than Just “Yourself” Read More »
From the Stoic perspective there are three main areas of our lives that require dedicated attention and energy to develop. They are our desires, our motivations, and our ability to reason. Increasing our capability and capacity in each of these areas enables us to make decisions that enable us to live the life we want
Desire, Motivations, and Reason Read More »
Many philosophies and religions advocate for the use of mantras to focus thoughts, help regulate emotions, and sustain helpful behaviors. I was thinking about some of the mantras that I have used in my life and I had the thought that if you don’t select your own mantra your mind will find one for you…
The Power of Personal Mantras Read More »
