Today's Meditation: And if you choose to hold fast to what is right, do not be irked by difficult circumstances, but reflect on how many things have already happened to you in life in ways that you did not wish, and yet they have turned out for the best. ~ Musonius Rufus, Fragment XXVII Things are tough if you choose virtue. I've told my kids this. As much as I work to help mold them into good people, I don't hide from them that this is walking a harder path. It's deliberately choosing to put some things high on their priorities which are sometimes going to cause them frustration or subject them to peer pressure because they, hopefully, are choosing the virtuous way. "I'm not saying it will be easy. I'm saying it will be worth it." Art Williams "It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day, that's the hard part. But it does get easier." BoJack Horseman, Season 2 Ending

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robin Waterfield), 48a Premeditatio malorum . Have I lost my best friend? If I have, is it a bad thing? Has it harmed my virtue? Directly, no. Potentially? Maybe, though only if I let it. He helped me begin my journey into philosophy. He helped me learn. He helped be a better person. Will I simply 'return' him to the universe? Will I at least get a chance to leave things on the best terms possible, perhaps open to future repair?

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robin Waterfield), 45 Limit my speculations. Focus on what is known without assigning credit or blame. Things just are, even when I don't weigh in on their worth.

Today's Meditation: When my friend of 45 years tells me I'm being an asshole, I should listen.  So last night I did serious harm to my oldest friendship.  I just wish I'd known in time to do something about it. I'm still not 100% sure what I did, but it must have been building for a while now. Then last night was the proverbial straw. The hardest part right now is waiting. He said he needed space so I'm respecting that. But I've so much to say, to appeal. Things to defend my actions, though I don't know what actions and defense is the worst thing I could do. Now is the time for reflecting on our history and relationship. Not to defend myself but to figure out where I've gone wrong and what I can do to make it up to him. Listening to him, examining my behavior, and accepting I'm wrong, without attempts to deflect or lessen the blame, is the right course. Now to do that and then wait until I'm allowed to show how I can be, am , a better friend.

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robin Waterfield), 43 And that's what I'm trying to do to repair my relationship with my best friend. Find the right handle to pick up this turd of a situation I've created.

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robin Waterfield), 41 I need to disagree here. Plenty of good  things, good mental and spiritual things, come from physical activity. Perhaps he meant not to put an undue emphasis on it.....

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robin Waterfield), 38 Seems tautological, given Stoic definitions.

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. by Robin Waterfield), 33.9 If this isn't the easiest one to remember.....

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robin Waterfield), 30 If I stay steady, hold on to my morals and virtue, then nothing bad will happen. It will work out and I [should be / will be] satisfied with whatever may come.

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion (trans. Robert Dobbins), 13 Be wise. Don't seek to be known as wise. Keep working on myself no matter what progress I feel I've made. If I feel adequately virtuous, why hold myself to a high stsndard if I've done so well so far?

Today's Meditation: The Enchiridion  (trans. Robert Dobbin), 12.2 Premeditatio Malorum . Consider what evil may come.  Foretell it. Foresee it. Imagine it. Pre-live it. Expect it. Accept it. Even small things that seem barely worth a thought upset me all too often. Not a big upset. But still noticable. I snap at my family. I feel like hitting a wall (but don't). I yell at someone in another car or flip them the bird. But why? Why sell my peace so cheaply? Why impose my impatience on my family? Or influence someone else's life negatively because I'm acting like a child who cannot hold his temper? I should be better than that.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), The Buddha Is it the suffering or the shared nature that draws the compassion? Or both? Will I be able to find my inter-being (to use Thich Nhat Hanh's word) with the Buddha? What will that mean? What would that entail? So, the Buddha was a man who suffered in life, just like me. Guess I've truly got something to meditate on this evening.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), A Day of Mindfulness I do agree. And I'm working on it. Tomorrow, with my wife and some friends. I want to be fully present the wholw day. Really experiencing the moments I'm gifted with such people. I'm so looking forward to it it's not even funny.

Today's Meditation: The Daily Stoic 260924 When I want to know how to act, I ask what my teenage self would have done in the situation. Then I ask, would I be satisfied if my kids was supposed to do XYZ and left it in the state I currently have it in. When the answer is no, I tell myself I should set a good example of what to do when things are done. 

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), A Day of Mindfulness Soon, my wife and I will be going on a special trip. The fun part? We don't know where we're going. A friend of mine who is a true world traveler booked the flights and stays for us . . . somewhere in the US. All know is that the climate is a little different and we needed to pack for the alteration. It a bit nerve-wracking and a lot exciting. We're really looking forward to it. Living in the future even as I write this. I plan to work on my being here, now while we spend time together. Just like I am right here, right now. ===== Originally published on 260926. (Thus the asterisks.) Backdated to 260923 for continuity's sake.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), A Day of Mindfulness Oh, that is hard. Not hurry? Pay attention? No reluctance? What madness is this? Peaceful madness. Gentle madness. Present madness. Here,now madness. I could stand a little more madness in my life.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Mindfulness of Breath  I'm tired, but happy. Roll with it. Real with it. Low effort posts count, too, though perhaps not so much.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Mindfulness of Breath  I can be present in everyday things. I can be pay attention to the wonder, the taste of my food, the look of the sunset or the amazing achievements that surround me. What amazing things people can do, have done, if I but notice.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Mindfulness of Breath  Be here. Now. Relax. Allow it. Fall into it.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Resting How to meditate easier . . . for dummy.  Let go. Let be. Let flow. Let free. Be in the moment and accept it for what it is. Let be what it is meant to be and who I am meant to be.

Today's Meditation: The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh (ed. by Melvin McLeod), Resting I do this. Constantly. (Ba dum tiss.) It takes a lot for me to find restfulness in my mind. I've has some back pain recently which has kept me up many nights in the past week. During those long nights, as I lay awake resting, I have felt this particularly intensely. I try to let myself drift to sleep, but often find myself sitting to meditate instead. And restless.

Today's Meditation: A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy (trans. Sekirin) I can work with this. Hesitation implies doubt. Yes, I doubt. All the time. But I use that time, as I separate myself from the stimulus, to select my action. What will I do? What will I consciously choose to do? Let that be my truth. I am what I do. (Tolstoy) IF my Inner Citadel in strong enough, this is true. IF my resolve is sufficient, this is true.  IF my courage is up to the task, this is true.

Today's Meditation: A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy (trans. Sekirin) That last part isn't always true. An illusion most certainly can overcome me again, especially is I consent to the delusion. Why would I accept such a thing? Forgetfulness. Insecurity. Feebleness of mind. Intoxication. Emotional distress. It's oh so easy to fall back into that habit energy which re-ruts me, returns me to my old patterns.

Today's Meditation: Wise Thoughts for Every Day by Leo Tolstoy (ed. and trans. Sekirin) Violence has solved more problems than any other method in history. Bar none. None even close. The question is would we be better off if we'd used words instead? In the vast majority of cases, most likely. Some, however, require an end to depredations that will not cease until and unless force is brought to bear. Wisdom lies in knowing the difference and not falling back into old habits by rote. Choices must be reasoned and deliberate. And the threshold of to action high indeed.

Today's Meditation: A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy (trans. Sekirin) What a great way to think about it. One requires consideration and understanding that they are transitory. Only if change the nature of the visit and invite them to stay will they become permanent residents.   The other requires care but with restrictions so they don't get out of hand. Both are natural and normal, but the behave better when I treat them properly.