Waiting on the Man

This week I will receive a phone call that could change my life for the better. I've interviewed for a job that I would absolutely love. I could get the yes or the no as I'm writing this...or late on Friday. I want to check my phone right now, just in case I missed a call. I find myself daydreaming both positive and negative scenarios that involve a call or a first day at work. I get antsy. It's these times when Stoicism gets tested.

A stoic mind pays attention to the present. Like Seneca said, "the past doesn't concern me anymore and the future doesn't concern me yet." And honestly, what amount of anxiety or worry is going to affect the outcome? I had my interview. Now I wait. There is a bit of superstition behind worry. A feeling that if I'm not investing some amount of energy into the scenario, then the undesired outcome will win out. It's ridiculous. The scenario that is happening, the one I can invest in, is whatever is happening here at this moment. I'm stealing attention from the present and handing it to a fantasy. Speaking of fantasy, I seriously just heard an imagined incoming text sound and checked my phone.

So I find myself with a gift. A chance to practice stoic indifference, attention, hesitation, etc. I'm failing a lot, but noticing that I'm failing is part of the process. I do know I am leaps and bounds better at waiting than I was a few years ago. It's encouraging. What's more, those moments when I draw my attention back to the present, they are particularly sweet. Seriously, I just smiled at the thought. I'll have to check in again later with an update, and do my best to not desire that update comes quickly! 

Review: The Inner Citadel

Few modern stoic texts have influenced my understanding of the philosophy more than Pierre Hadot's The Inner Citadel. I've heard the book referred to as a study of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. It is that, in part. However, Hadot's deep knowledge of ancient thought makes it much more than an explanatory text. He expounds on Aurelius' words. He shows the influence of earlier teachers, and illuminates what seems to be uniquely Aurelius. More important to the stoic practitioner, Hadot takes a bare philosophical framework and fleshes it out. The Inner Citadel presents a livable philosophy. Hadot brings out ideas that can be locked within the original stoic texts for years if a student is left to personal reflection.

This is not to say that Hadot is a sage, or that all his thoughts are unimpeachable. Not at all. However, his work serves to elevate the discourse surrounding Stoicism. I find myself continuously returning to his chapters on the Three Disciplines, which alone make the book indispensable.

So yes, I like The Inner Citadel. I do not suggest handing it out as a gift for people new to the philosophy. It's not that sort of book, unless your pal is really into wisdom literature in which case, go for it. The Inner Citadel is for those of us who already practice stoicism in our daily lives. For us, it can expand our knowledge of the philosophy and assist in shaping our inner discourse.

The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

Get It Together: A Challenge

I need to get my shit together. I use that particular phrase because I've just been introduced to Get Your Shit Together dot org. GYST is a life and death planning site that encourages people to prepare for the fact that you are going to die.  Do you have a Will? A Living Will? Life insurance? Does your significant other know the passwords to important websites? There's a lot to cover. GYST is there to point out that preparation for death involves a fair amount of paperwork.

As a stoic, I'm also supposed to be preparing for death with my mind. To us, death is part of nature and nothing that is natural should be unexpected. Therefore we prepare ourselves for change. We use negative visualization to rehearse loss. As Seneca said, "We live in the middle of things which have all been destined to die. Mortal have you been born, to mortals have you given birth." Personally, I find this rehearsal very calming. Yet, for all the time spent thinking about endings, I have done very little to prepare for my own.

Get Your Shit Together gives me a chance to take a stoic spiritual practice and apply it to paperwork. I can take the steps necessary to alleviate the stress on my wife if an accident were to happen or illness suddenly struck me. I'm issuing a challenge to myself, one that I believe would benefit any practicing stoic. I'm going to get my shit together this year. After all, it's the stoic thing to do.