Life is fascinating. I’m in constant awe. I get to experience the miracle of creation happening right before my very eyes.
However, there are times when my chattering mind gets in the way of that awe. Maybe I’m hungry. Maybe someone cut me off in traffic. Maybe I’m thinking about some insult of the past that I can’t let go. Maybe I’m too focused on current events.
That chattering mind of ours, it just can’t sit still. What to do?
A lot of ancient philosophy asked that same question. I don’t claim to have any original thoughts. Maybe I put them together in a different way to make you think about your life in a new way.
I find Stoicism an eminently practical philosophy. In essence they asked how we can live a happy life. After all, life is a struggle. A glorious struggle, but a struggle nonetheless. One of the key precepts of Stoicism is to be able to distinguish what is under our control and what is not. And, the truth is, most things are not under our control. Therefore, if you stress about things not under your control, it is a waste of your precious time and you emit negative energy.
The only thing you can control is how you react to a given situation. It is possible to learn how to respond in a positive manner. It’s not easy. Not by a long shot. But, through practice, you can learn how to step back and let the observing mind take control, not the chattering mind.
The observing mind is outside your ego. Practice not feeding it. When someone offends you, instead of feeling insulted, show compassion. They are hurting inside and don’t know how to constructively deal with it. Try to imagine what happened in their life to make them act that way. Instead of anger, you will feel love. I believe this is the true message Jesus was conveying when he said to love your neighbor and turn the other cheek. I’ve never met a Christian who understood this. But it is key to living a stress free life.
