TRANQUILITY


"THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS UPON THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS"    

- Marcus Aurelius 

 


 



A happy mind equates to a happy soul.

The reason you are distressed, anxious, depressed, and generally feeling unwell stems from one place: YOUR MIND.

Your mind is where your thoughts, your inner self talk, and the stories that you constantly, and consistently, tell yourself come are formed.

And precisely these things that stem from your mind are QUITE LITERALLY what dictate, shape, and form how you feel about, and view, events, react, and interact with your surroundings, which in turn impacts your current and future reality.

If your thoughts, the way you view things, and the way your mind functions is mainly predicated on negative self talk, then it will be impossible to find happiness and peace of mind.

But what about my surroundings? They are the reason why I am sad and distressed.

In stoicism your surroundings are considered EXTERNALS, things that are not within your control.

EXTERNALS HAVE IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM ANY POWER TO DRIVE HOW YOU ACT, THINK, AND FEEL. ONLY INTERNALS POSSESS SUCH POWER, AND INTERNALS ARE WITHIN YOUR CONTROL.


YOUR WELL BEING, HAPPINESS, TRANQUILITY, AND HOW YOUR LIFE WILL GO IS DEPENDANT ON HOW YOUR MIND OPERATES


A core message in stoicsim is to train your thoughts through becoming AWARE of your thoughts.

To not be, like Marcus Aureluis said, a puppet on a string that is controlled by his OWN IMPULSIVITIES.

So how do I control my thoughts??

  • First and most importantly: BECOME AWARE OF THEM

Become more aware of the way you view things and the way your mind and train of thoughts take you. I personally found meditation to be quite a useful instrument in realizing that thoughts can be viewed from a distance.

Keep in mind though that this takes practice. 

Once, you become aware of a thought immediately implement the SSS method as follows:

  • Second: STOP YOUR THOUGHTS.
Whenever you find yourself impulsively thinking or reacting, pause for a couple of seconds.
  • Third: STRIP BARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
View them as they truly and really are.
  • Fourth: SEE THEM FROM A COSMIC (HIGHER) PERSPECTIVE AND DECIDE WHETHER TO LEAVE THEM, DISREGARD THEM, OR REFUTE THEM.
Does this thought really matter? And if so why? What needs to be done to such a thought?

PRACTICE BECOMING AWARE OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND USING THE SSS METHOD AND YOU WILL BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO A CLEARER, MORE TRANQUIL MIND.

The key here is to PRACTICE. More and more REPS.



AMOR FATI



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