Tag Archives: The Stoic

Arts, Literature, Philosophy

The Stoic: The Power of a Mantra

CLARITY

“Erase the false impressions from your mind by constantly saying to yourself, I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire or any kind of disturbance – instead, seeing the true nature of things, I will give them their only due. Always remember this power that nature gave you.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.29

ANYONE who has taken a yoga class or been exposed to Hindu or Buddhist thought has probably heard of the concept of a mantra. In Sanskrit, it means ‘sacred utterance’ – essentially a word, a phrase, a thought, even a sound – intended to provide clarity or spiritual guidance. A mantra can be especially helpful in the meditative process because it allows us to block out everything else while we focus.

It’s fitting, then, that Marcus Aurelius would suggest this Stoic mantra – a reminder or watch phrase to use when we feel false impressions, distractions, or the crush of everyday life upon us. It says, essentially, ‘I have the power within me to keep that out. I can see the truth.’

Change the wording as you like. That part is up to you. But have a mantra and use it to find the clarity you crave.

See also:

. The Stoic: Be Ruthless To The Things That Don’t Matter

. The Stoic: Control & Choice

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Arts, Literature, Philosophy

The Stoic: Be Ruthless To The Things That Don’t Matter

CLARITY

“How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements – how little of your own was left to you. You will realise you are dying before your time!” – Seneca, On The Brevity of Life, 3.3b

 

ONE of the hardest things to do in life is to say “No.” To invitations, to requests, to obligations, to the things that everyone else is doing. Even harder is saying no to certain time-consuming emotions: anger, excitement, distraction, obsession, lust. None of these impulses feels like a big deal by itself, but run amok, they become a commitment like anything else.

If you’re not careful, these are precisely the impositions that will overwhelm and consume your life. Do you ever wonder how you can get some of your time back, how you can feel less busy? Start by learning the power of “No!” – as in “No, thank you,” and “No, I’m not going to get caught up in that,” and “No, I just can’t right now.” It may hurt some feelings. It may turn people off. It may take some hard work. But the more you say no to the things that don’t matter, the more you can yes to the things that do. This will let you live and enjoy your life – the life that you want.

. Previously The Stoic: Control & Choice

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Arts, Literature, Philosophy

The Stoic: Control & Choice

CLARITY

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own.” – Epictetus, Discourses, 2.5.4–5

The Pen

A metonymic adage, coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839.

THE single most important practice in Stoic philosophy is differentiating between what we can change and what we can’t. What we have influence over and what we do not. A flight is delayed because of weather – no amount of yelling at an airline representative will end a storm. No amount of wishing will make you taller or shorter or born in a different country. No matter how hard you try, you can’t make someone like you. And on top of that, time spent hurling yourself at those immovable objects is time not spent on the things we can change.

The recovery community practices something called the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Addicts cannot change the abuse suffered in childhood. They cannot undo the choices they have made or the hurt they have caused. But they can change the future – through the power they have in the present moment. As Epictetus said, they can control the choices they make right now.

The same is true for us today. If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will not only be happier, we will have a distinct advantage over other people who fail to realise they are fighting an unwinnable battle.

– The Stoic is a new series on site which aims to interpret powerful quotations and historical anecdotes through personal commentary.

Appendage:

stoicism

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