Third Time Isn't Always a Charm - A Brief Intro to Stoicism
“Strive for excellence, but don’t hinge your self-worth on the results.”
“From War to Writing” is a story of healing and recovery, of climbing out of a downward spiral of distraction, stress, and chronic overwhelm.
This is my first book and is a work in progress. All feedback is welcome.
Prologue: My First Attempt at Solitude
Introduction: Weaving a Tapestry of Healing from Curiosities in the Chaos
Table of Contents - From War to Writing
Chapter 1: Stop The Spiral - “I Let My Dandelions Grow”
Dear Reader,
If you were expecting Chapter 2 of From War to Writing today, my apologies.
The topic of Stoicism is going to take little longer to properly curate and wrangle into this book than I thought. ;p
As a philosophy that many spend years trying to understand and embrace, Stoicism is something I will need to take in bite-sized chunks to properly curate.
When I revisited my first article on Stoicism to write Chapter 2, I quickly realized that chapter was going to be a project in and of itself.
My primary goal at jofty’s Corner is to maintain a sustainable pace to complete my first book: From War to Writing. The creative process isn’t always neat and tidy, and this particular topic gets more challenging the deeper I dig.
Stoicism may take a few weeks to unravel, and I thank you for your patience. :)
Three Articles - None Were “Right”
After working on three different versions of an article for today, I found myself five minutes before my typical publishing deadline realizing none of those were going to work, and writing this instead.
I thought the third time was the charm… not quite. :)
Rather than present something particularly messy or unfinished, today I offer this quick peek behind the scenes of my writing process, and a video with tips and tricks to help stay focused on healing.
Stoicism Intro
This video helped me greatly, particularly when I first stopped the spiral and began my healing journey. These ideas still keep me level headed and better able to handle the inevitable stressors of everyday life.
Stoicism teaches we should focus on what we can control:
Our Perceptions
Our Actions
Our Will
If you are looking for a good starting point to explore Stoicism, this video is a good one. It is packed full of tips, tricks, and perspective to help increase our ability to handle emotional regulation.
Let Go of Things Outside Your Control
The biggest lesson I took from the video is that we need to let go of things outside our control.
If our emotions are like a kite, every string we hold on to keeps us tethered to the forces of nature. Hold on too many, or one too tightly, and you’re at the mercy of the wind.
The following quotes are from the video above:
While we can’t control the wind, we can decide what strings to hold on to.
Emotional Detachment doesn’t mean you stop caring. It means assigning the proper weight to things outside your control.
This doesn’t make you cold or indifferent, it makes you grounded and resilient.
Detachment doesn’t mean you care less, it means you understand better. It means staying true to our essence. Letting love guide you, rather than fear.
“Strive for excellence, but don’t hinge your self-worth on the results.”
Wrap-Up
Thank you for stopping by today. I look forward digging deeper and sharing more about Stoicism as we continue toward Chapter 2.
I hope to see you next time as we continue our journey along the road From War to Writing.
Have a pleasant week,
- jofty 8^)