Maybe some people can argue that we’re advancing, that technology is getting better, and that we have more options than ever.
But this, ultimately, doesn’t matter at all. What matters is our mental and physical strength and our spirituality, of course, which seems to be lacking in a significant number of people.
Why do we need stoicism?
Stoicism will shift our mentality to the things that we can control, in our actions and in our reactions. Some people will get mad if someone says something that they don’t agree with.
People are literally getting triggered into anxiety attacks if they hear certain words. But the good news is that this isn’t happening everywhere.
And I’m not talking about people who went trough serious trauma, because in some cases like this, I think the reaction can be justified. I’m talking about people who live a very privileged life, maybe even the easiest life that they can live and they still react like they are the world’s biggest victims.
Being stoic is a complex thing, but at its core, it means that we won’t get affected by events and we definitely won’t freak out if something doesn’t go our way.
How can we start being stoic?
Just like Marcus Aurelius, we could reflect at the end of each day on how it went and we could write down some thoughts or observations that we find useful.
Being stoic means also having a lot of discipline, doing the things that we’re supposed to do, and keeping our emotions in check.
What are the traits of stoics?
There are plenty. Basically, all the things that people really appreciate in others, we should aim to have them.
The most important ones are wisdom, justice, courage, and discipline. Having all these, there is a high chance that we are able to make the right decisions most of the time and, therefore, be able to live a good life and also help the ones that are around us.
Preparing for Negative Thinking?
Since the Law of Attraction became well known, people that follow it have become very wary of thinking anything negative, even though it’s just taken into consideration or analyzed.
Being and remaining stoic means that you are also prepared. Being prepared starts in your mind, by thinking about possible future events.
Some people may say that the Stoics entertained negative thinking or manifested negative outcomes, but if you believe that, you must know the difference.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Franklin, Benjamin
The Stoics analyze different scenarios so that they are prepared if any difficulties come. They don’t dwell on negative ideas, they don’t entertain bad scenarios, but they just count them as possible outcomes.
Even with the Law of Attraction and thinking only positive thoughts, you won’t have a life without problems. Difficulties will strike you. Difficulties don’t care how positive your thinking is.
You could listen to all the Law of Attraction coaches in the world, follow all their advice, and still encounter adversities.
This is part of life. Some people may seem like they are living the best life ever, but I guarantee you, they have their own problems; they just don’t talk about them.
I didn’t say this to undermine the Law of Attraction, since it’s based on positive thinking and positive expectations, which is very good to have. I said it just so we understand that we shouldn’t be afraid of thinking about possible negative outcomes.
There are people who, once they find out about the Law of Attraction, develop a degree of fear of negative expectations because they think that they will manifest them. From my experience, and I’m pretty sure from other people’s experiences, it doesn’t work like that. We need to take the bad things into consideration, just don’t dwell on them.
Conclusion
It boils down to being mindful. And we really need that to prepare, analyze, and overcome obstacles.
Otherwise, we will get stuck in life and we’ll accomplish nothing. If we keep ourselves in check, we’re more likely to be able to remain on track and apply the stoic principles.
We will analyze our steps from an objective point of view, definitely not guided by emotions, and therefore, we will be able to take better decisions and rise above the obstacles that we encounter along our life journey.
Cheers!
