Stoic Serendipity : My Acquaintance to a Way of Living

I knew i wasn't a conformist.

Alone by Choice.

This realization struck me very early on in my life,when i analyzed my thoughts and my actions relative to what others were doing. I could not see any purpose or pleasure in the things they did. For me, parties and soirees were just another excuse for contrived happiness,ostentation contests and motive driven hobnobbing between people.Needless to say, i was awkward in most social settings due to my lack of social filters, chagrin towards small talk and a general feeling of malaise caused by the feigned enthusiasm of humans around me.

Dawn Neighborhood Strolls

Such disposition carried itself to most social settings and situations,which prevented me to become 'one of them' moreover , i made no effort to be one neither.I did overcome this handicap,but that's a story for another day.I had a hot-head which made people cold shoulder me, hence a beginning of my nihilistic misanthropy.To my further dismay, i could not find any purpose or a reason to prolong my pointless and hollow existence.Faced with underlying existential questions that led me to stay alone and aloof.Occasionally i would also take solo sojourns around my neighborhood early in the morning when the streets were deserted and i could talk/sing to myself to retain my sanity.

Tim Ferriss, got me interested in stoicism

Enough of my grim and awww-evoking story, i just wished to give you a lucid background to show you how much i have changed since .Call it fate or volition, i delved into across stoicism through a blog posts from one of my favorite authors called Tim Ferriss. I can still recall him giving a passing reference during one of his conference speeches how stoicism had enabled him to mold his work-personal life into an enviable one.He and many other influential doyens frequently cited quotes from Seneca and Epictetus,which made me find out what the fuss was all about. Until now,my perception of stoicism was based upon the modern and misconstrued version,which stated a person who represses and contains his feelings and doesn't let his emotions surface while enduring hellish obstacles. However,as i later found out this couldn't be further away from the truth.

The Game-changer

Until this stage of my life i had been anything but stoic,so i decided to go into deep end and ordered a couple of Stoicism must read via amazon.Until now, i had been susceptible to the vicissitudes of life and let my emotions get the best of me during volatile situations that eventually didn't serve me well.One of the first quoted i read upon reading seneca was:

" It is a tough road that leads a man to his greatness,which is his done by his efforts"

                                                                                                                      

A New Dawn, A New Chance.

From then on,a new day had begun and i decided to change my life consciously,purposefully and for the better of mankind and myself.I started off with a few and small productive habits in my daily routine and decided to stick to it, come hell or highwater.Everyday,i would see changes in my body and my mindset beginning to give me more self-confidence and momentum to move on to my next goal while confirming that i was capable enough to achieve whatever i set my mind onto.

That's The Key! 

With dedication and objective tracking,progress followed. Being brutally honest,i still fail daily and i'm still a farcry from being a consummate stoic,but i realized that being stoic entails to authenticity and dedication to virtues and one's own nature.Hence, i learn and grow quickly,due to my new set of empowering beliefs.

I refer to more modern texts and books on the interpretation of stoicism,as the ancient texts exude the genuine charm and ancient wisdom,the extraction of the exact message becomes cumbersome and an ordeal in itself.Hence, i use modern resources like Youtube videos,modern stoicism DIY manuals and audiobooks as well. I also engage in daily meditation and journal writing rituals that help me be conscious of my daily activities and how to improve them henceforth.

vivere secundum naturam.

This is just the first of many chapters in my life,stoicism is one of the things that helped me transform my life.This write up was an attempt to showcase that there is always hope if you're hopeful and willing to make purposeful efforts.

While i am making great strides,i am still searching,still unsure and am very much a work in progress.