“Epicurus once said that the wise will accomplish three things in their life: leave written works behind them, be financially prudent and provide for the future, and cherish country living. That is to say, we will be reflective, we will be responsible and moderate, and we will find time to relax in nature.”
Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 183)
Beyond the Quote (119/365)
If there was ever a time to prioritize reflection, responsibility/ moderation, and nature, this would be the time. COVID-19 has had a drastic impact on the world—our world. It took almost everything that we grew to rely on as part of our daily lives and flipped it all upside down. Family dynamics aren’t the same. Work isn’t the same. Education isn’t the same. Extracurricular activities aren’t the same. Food isn’t the same. Friends aren’t the same. Shopping isn’t the same. Exercise isn’t the same. Entertainment isn’t the same. Everything has been affected. And when the landscape all around us is shifting as rapidly as it is under these circumstances, what we need now more than ever is stability and stillness within.
The first thing we all should do to stabilize is to spend time in reflection and journal. Every day. Writing is the active process of clarifying thoughts; of clearing your mind of recurring thoughts; and of working through problems that are giving you a hard time and holding you back. Journaling doesn’t need to follow any particular format and you shouldn’t pressure yourself to have perfect grammar. You just need to put the pen to the paper or your hands to the keyboard, and start writing what’s on your mind.
What’s beautiful about this process is that once you write something down—there it is. It’s out of your head and you can see exactly what it is that you’re thinking and feeling. This sounds like a, “duh” moment, but what most people don’t realize is that they have no idea what they are actually thinking and feeling (you don’t know what you don’t know). Their monkey minds are all over the place and are causing just as much chaos in their inner world as there is in their outer world. Writing is the act of organizing that inner chaos and putting names to thoughts and feelings so that they can be properly compartmentalized and dealt with.
Finally, by writing down what’s on your mind, you don’t have to remember it anymore. This is one reason why thoughts can become recurring. Your mind doesn’t want to forget whatever it is that’s cycling—either consciously or unconsciously. That, or your mind is still actively running through the situation to try and figure out solutions—which writing will also help with. When you don’t have to remember certain thoughts anymore, you actively free up thinking space for new thoughts. This allows you to expand your thinking and deal with new problems and new situations—of which, there are (and will be) plenty.
The second thing we should all do to stabilize is take responsibility for our immediate outer worlds. We can’t control the Coronavirus and we can’t control the government, but we can influence our current circumstances and take responsibility for what’s within our control. This means keeping the house in order and contributing your part, reaching out to friends and family members and offering them support, taking care of your health and spending time exercising and eating well, finding ways you can align your needs with the needs of other community members and create synergistic relationships—like buying food from local restaurants that might be suffering, etc.
Furthermore, we should be mindful of our consumption and focus on moderation. There is an unprecedented number of people out of work and there are people who are working more now than ever before. With such drastic changes with how our time is divided up within a day, it’s easy to loose willpower and control over what we’re consuming. Be mindful of what you’re eating in comparison to your activity level. If you’re doing far less than usual—then focus on eating less than normal. If you’re doing far more than usual—then focus on fueling your engine optimally. Try not to use it as an excuse to fill your body with a bunch of quick garbage.
This goes too for what you consume not just with your mouth, but with your eyes and ears too. Try and live in balance. Don’t just binge watch TV shows all day—balance in reading and writing. Try not to spent too much time scrolling aimlessly on social media—balance in creative endeavors and self-expression. Fight the urge to just play video games or watch random YouTube videos—balance in audiobooks and podcasts. TV shows, social media, and video games can be a source of comfort during uncertain times, so this isn’t to say that you should avoid them at all costs. This is simply a reminder to live in moderation and balance in other endeavors that may be uncomfortable, yes, but rewarding and valuable too.
The last thing we all should do to stabilize is spend time relaxing—both in and out of nature. Disconnecting from the virtual world and connecting to nature can be incredibly refreshing and can have powerful healing effects. Especially during a time when almost everything is being done virtually: Facetime calls with friends and family, Zoom meetings with colleagues and coworkers, prerecorded lectures and learning tutorials from teachers, extracurricular activities from websites, meal and grocery delivery from apps, live workout classes and concerts from phones… and this isn’t to include all of the time spent on TV, social media, or video games! It can be an overwhelming amount of screen time.
Nature can be one of the best detoxes from all of that. Freshly oxygenated air from the plants and trees. Rich, dense, life bearing soil under your feet. Chirps, croaks, rustling, and ribbits from life all around you. It’s an invigorating escape from the brick box we lock ourselves into day-in and day-out; from the mind numbing entertainment that we glue to the space directly in front of our eyes; from the concrete jungle that we call our hometown. It’s also where we can reconnect with our roots and separate ourselves from the bombardment of influences and advertisements and personalities that keep telling us what to do, how to act, and who we should be. Nature brings you back down to earth and grounds you. It keeps you from deviating too far from your authentic self.
What’s most special about this process as a whole, is that not only will it help you stabilize your life during these unstable periods now—but they will help you stay stable for life. This is what Epicurus believed wise people accomplished in their lives. And if you can focus on accomplishing them now, and then again tomorrow, and then again the day after that—until it becomes a part of your life—then you’ll be on your way. Just focus on doing the best you can today: write a little, take a little more responsibility, live a little more in moderation, and spend a little more time in nature—and the rest will take care of itself. Good luck.
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