GAIN SERENITY IN ACTION
The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength. Marcus Aurelius.
After a vibrant professional life as an entrepreneur in the outdoor industry, I now devote myself to the study of practical philosophy. Reflecting upon my professional life, I wish to share my thoughts and suggestions that can help those who want to lead a serene and harmonious life, even if they are faced with very challenging situations.
My perspective, is neither that of a philosophy professor nor that of a personal development coach, but that of a businessman. It can therefore be of interest to anyone who seeks the overall improvement of his personal life.
Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have some principles to govern our actions, it is our philosophy of life. It is crucial to shape it seriously and consciously. Like the body, the mind needs training.
The current civilization, with its tumultuous and multiple demands, favors the rise of stress, even anxiety. Our system of response based on that of our ancestors gives pride of place to the fight and flight syndrome reflex, which generates reactivity rather than adaptation. However, we are all looking for a life full of serenity, which is not obvious in this context.
Ancient wisdom gives us the keys to achieve this serenity. Stoicism, in particular, proposes principles of life whose value has never been denied and, on the contrary, validated by all the research in the context of positive psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Stoicism as a philosophy of life
Stoicism was developed as a philosophy of life.
Founded by Zeno in 301 B.C., Stoicism is the philosophy that has best survived the ages. Since the end of the 20th century, there has been an important revival of interest in Stoicism, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries.
At the beginning of our era, three famous Stoics, bequeathed to us most of the writings that we currently have. Seneca, a statesman, banker, poet and dramatist ; Epictetus, a freed slave who taught Stoicism; Marcus Aurelius, the most powerful man in the world at the time: the Emperor of Rome. They shared the fact that they were extremely active, that they fully lived their philosophy, which they mastered and detailed in their writings and teachings. They did not consider themselves wise, but actively sought “the good life”. Seneca wrote to his friend Lucilius about Stoic principles in his — Letters from a Stoic -; Epictetus taught and his teaching was recorded by his pupil to pass to us a good life manual — Enchiridion -; Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations,which fortunately were transmitted to future generations.
The contemporary Stoic author, Chuck Chakrapani, sums up Stoic philosophy in A Fortunate Storm, of which a few lines are extracted below:
You can be free, happy, and serene, no matter what else is happening around you, if you understand this basic truth: some things in life are under your control, and others are not.
These things are under your control: What you believe, what you desire or hate, and what you are attracted to or avoid.
Everything that happens around you or to you is part of reality. You need to deal with reality using things that are under your control. When you try to deal with reality using things not under your control, you will be hindered and frustrated.
The window of control we have may appear small but is large enough to lead us to freedom, happiness, and serenity.
The author also reports the view of stoicism according to Zeno, its founder:
The goal of Stoicism is to “live consistently.” One should lead a life of reason because reason is the only thing that is consistent with it-self. A consistent life leads to happiness.
Serenity with Stoicism
To achieve serenity it is necessary to know how to adjust oneself in relation to nature and to develop excellence of character, by the practice of cardinal virtues, to the number of four; they act as a compass for action:
- practical wisdom: knowing how to choose and act with reason
- courage: living with confidence and cheerfulness
- justice: fairness, loyalty and respect
- temperance: moderating our actions and judgments to the right measure.
These elementary principles may seem abstract but the Stoics have developed all kinds of training to reach the Good Life which can be defined as expressed by R. Niebuhr :
To accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can, and
wisdom to know the difference.
The 8 stoic practices of the doer
1 Discernment of what is within your control
Focus on actions that are within your control, without wasting energy on judgements and complaints about situations outside your control. This can be even more difficult for an entrepreneur, who, for example, may lack humility and overestimate his power and thus the extent of his domain of control. Therefore, constant effort is required to discern the elements on which our attention must be focused.
2 The view from above
Avoid being overwhelmed by current worries, by rising above immediate concerns. Look back and take a global view: “No, we are not the centre of the world; yes, our problems of the moment are insignificant”, especially put in perspective with the major problems of the world.
Finally, a more reasoned and less tense attitude brings us inner harmony and calm while promoting a welcoming atmosphere.
3 Premeditatio malorum
Why not consider that the worst can happen in any situation and prepare for it mentally? If it happens, we will be ready for it and if it is more favorable we will solve it without difficulty while rejoicing. The peace of mind that comes with it helps improve all facets of our personal lives.
4 Reserve clause
Keep in mind the maxim: “Do what you must, come what may.” This is the archer’s metaphor: if he has focused perfectly on adjusting his shot, once the arrow is gone, elements can combine to make him miss his target… How many times are we still concerned, when the die is cast? We should let go, to avoid tension in the workplace to preserve our availability for others.
5 Amor Fati
Resistance creates suffering, acceptance provides inner calm.
For a life to flow in peace, as Epictetus says: demand not that things happen as you wish but wish them as they do, and you will go on well. Let us train ourselves to love life with all its components and to accept all its aspects. Our fortitude will be a model for our teams and our family.
One of the best-known Stoic authors, Ryan Holiday, gave his best-seller the title: «The Obstacle is the Way». This entrepreneur understood and explained how all obstacles reinforce our strength of character and improve our ability to overcome them. From then on, we will no longer feel that the pitfalls of private life are breaking the back of the already overloaded camel…
6 Memento mori
Let us remember that we are mortal: no need to consider this principle morbidly or defeatist but let us take it as an incentive of taking control of our existence. As Seneca recommends, it should give us energy to focus on important things. He admits with humor, that greed is only acceptable in term of how one spends one’s time. Often by working in a more concentrated way, without getting caught up in overactivity, we will be more efficient in the workplace and more present for our family, so we gain fulfillment.
7 The Value of the Role Model
It is very helpful to choose as a model one or more great characters whose values and behavior we admire, in order to follow their example during the important events of our life. How would this character have comprehended the situation? Thus, we feel comfortable in our decisions, which avoids overwhelming concerns. We will then be better able to pursue applying our own values.
8 Personal examination
Every morning, rather than being immediately absorbed by the flow of information emanating from the media or social networks, let us give ourselves a privileged moment. First of all to rejoice in being alive — surrounded by loved ones, without material concerns, if this is the case — then calmly prepare for the day. Seneca tells us that we should consider every day as our last day and live it fully.
We must prepare to meet people who will not have the same disposition of mind, without it disturbing our inner calm. In the evening, a moment should be preserved to write or reflect on our actions, to rejoice on what was good and to motivate us to improve what could be. Those around us will notice that perceived negative behaviours do not happen again and again. Our progress towards excellence is continuously checked and encouraged
The good and serene life
The Stoics famously considered three categories of people, first the Sage, like Socrates (and there is one among millions); then, those who make progress towards wisdom: the «progressors», which every Stoic is a part of; finally the last category, people who do not make progress. The Stoics did not give a name to that last group.
Clearly, one who focuses primarily on material success, which often leads to a relentless pursuit of professional achievement and selfishness, does not achieve lasting happiness.
Thanks to these practices, the Stoic progresses everyday towards wisdom and building harmonious relationships with one’s self and others.
True happiness and serenity are reached in the search for fulfillment, by performing the best possible role that has been assigned to us, to realize one’s nature perfectly.
