I absolutely loved this post. From personal experience, every major disruption in my life was actually a phenomenal turning point. For example, I consider MS diagnosis as one of the best things that ever happened to me. Being a teenage alcoholic and fighting through addiction has been one of the best things I have ever happened to me. I have not used since August 10 1982, specifically at 2 o’clock in the afternoon before walking into detox. And the list goes on.
Now granted, I have not always handled those transitions as smoothly as I could have, and sometimes it takes a bit of time to gain the proper perspective, but ultimately I have prevailed.
Thank you, Charles! Thanks for sharing your personal experience as well. I agree, transitions are the times that make us who we are, and I think Stoicism can help us all handle them a bit better.
Practicing detachment from outcomes and cultivating our inner strength through the Cardinal Virtues (and avoiding the vices) allows us to adapt to life’s inevitable shifts while maintaining peace of mind.
Well written essay. Thank you for pulling together all of these insights. I shared your post with my granddaughters (the younger one just leaving high school). Both are at a stage of transition in their lives. Hopefully they will find these words inspiring and useful. I am old enough to have too many examples of life transitions to discuss here. I can say that, looking back, I wish I had discovered Stoicism many years ago. Things that I have learned from reading the Stoics, ancient and modern, would have been very helpful. Now I try to spread these ideas wherever it seems appropriate.
I absolutely loved this post. From personal experience, every major disruption in my life was actually a phenomenal turning point. For example, I consider MS diagnosis as one of the best things that ever happened to me. Being a teenage alcoholic and fighting through addiction has been one of the best things I have ever happened to me. I have not used since August 10 1982, specifically at 2 o’clock in the afternoon before walking into detox. And the list goes on.
Now granted, I have not always handled those transitions as smoothly as I could have, and sometimes it takes a bit of time to gain the proper perspective, but ultimately I have prevailed.
Thank you again. I truly enjoy your writing.
Thank you, Charles! Thanks for sharing your personal experience as well. I agree, transitions are the times that make us who we are, and I think Stoicism can help us all handle them a bit better.
Wonderful post, thank you!
Thank you for this 😊
What a beautiful post Brittany! I collect quotes and took several from this article for my collection to reflect on. Thank you!
Thank you, Jennifer! I'm glad the piece spoke to you.
This brings to mind Heraclitus’s saying, “You cannot step into the same river twice.”
Practicing detachment from outcomes and cultivating our inner strength through the Cardinal Virtues (and avoiding the vices) allows us to adapt to life’s inevitable shifts while maintaining peace of mind.
Well written essay. Thank you for pulling together all of these insights. I shared your post with my granddaughters (the younger one just leaving high school). Both are at a stage of transition in their lives. Hopefully they will find these words inspiring and useful. I am old enough to have too many examples of life transitions to discuss here. I can say that, looking back, I wish I had discovered Stoicism many years ago. Things that I have learned from reading the Stoics, ancient and modern, would have been very helpful. Now I try to spread these ideas wherever it seems appropriate.
Thank you, Paul! Good luck to your granddaughters. I hope these Stoic thoughts will be of use to them in all their transitions.