Desire fate - whatever it may be
Over the years, I have watched countless self-help videos that address the issues faced in life. Of these, Stoicism is one of the ideas that I find really helps me to see past my current struggles and move on with some sense of control.
Some things I picked up from this Stoicism video entitled "How Not to be Pathetic":
- Accept your fate - We all wish for something "better" that isn't in our life yet. However, if fate (good or bad) is destined to happen anyway, accepting it will certainly remove the pain of "not having it" or "not being where you are supposed to be". I like this quote from Epictetus from the video "It 's like a banquet, with dishes going around. If something tasty stops in front of you, take some if you want. If it hasn't reached you yet, don't grab for it. If it misses you entirely, don't make a fuss. Take the same attitude towards family, money and position. Partake of them as they come to you and then there is no blame".
- Develop virtue - Every obstacle is an opportunity to develop a virtue. For temptations (lust and desire) , there is self-control. For fear and avoidance, there is courage. For adversity, we have optimism and endurance. For unfriendly, ignorant and disrespectful people, there is compassion.
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