Recently, my son Rowan, a long-time student of the Stoics, encouraged me to listen to a short audiobook called Lessons in Stoicism. Each morning, when I fed the chickens and watered the garden, I listened for a few minutes, and before long, I became very interested in these ancient teachings of Greek and Roman philosophers. I learned about Epictetus, a formerly enslaved person who taught his philosophy in Greece after being banished from Rome; Seneca, a Roman playwright, and courtier who drew the wrath of Nero and was forced to take his own life; and Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor whose Meditations have remained popular since they were written from 171 to 175 CE.
Once I finished Lessons, I began listening to The Daily Stoic by Ryan Halliday, bits of wisdom from the Stoic tradition. I listen while I refill feeders and waterers and keep an eye on the chickens during their free-range time. Then, while I water my raised beds, I contemplate what I've heard.
People tend to think of the Stoics as unfeeling and disengaged from life. On the contrary, Stoics believe in many things very compatible with the practice of mindfulness. A life worth living is characterized not by pursuing wealth and pleasure but by practicing wisdom, courage, temperance, moderation, and justice, called the cardinal virtues. Stoics take time in contemplation twice daily, either by meditating or journaling. While on campaign with his troops in Central Europe, Marcus Aurelius spent the early mornings contemplating how to bring virtue into his life while each evening, he considered how well he'd done and what he could do better. The purpose of all this discipline was to appreciate his life fully, finding joy, gratitude, and fulfillment no matter what befell him.
The essential teaching of the Stoics is not to waste my time and emotions on things over which I have no control. That means not fretting or obsessing about the latest political outrage, rapidly melting glaciers in the Arctic, or declining biodiversity. This is a valuable teaching for me as I have spent many hours distressed about the future of our country and our world. Even knowing that there is virtually nothing I can do to correct the Supreme Court's disastrous decision on presidential immunity, the rising heat melting the glaciers, or the fate of thousands of endangered species of birds, animals, and plants, I have still felt compelled to worry about them for some reason. The worry I experience makes me suffer but causes no improvement in outcomes. It is a form of voluntary misery.
As a student of Stoic philosophy, I can still inform myself and take action in support of the values I hold dear, even if they are wholly out of my control, but I must let go of wanting things to be different than they are. Instead, I should focus on what I am in control of, which, according to the Stoics, is my attention, what I do with my emotions, and other choices available to me. Will I choose to dwell on the last vulgar absurdity spewed by a particular politician? Will I lash out at my neighbor whose dog kept me awake last night or even engage in angry thoughts about him? Will I buy that expensive cashmere sweater? These are the things over which I have control.
The rest of my time, I can notice the miracles constantly unfolding around me. My Wyandotte hens have almost blue feathers, and the bottoms of their feet are bright yellow. A large, striped green and yellow squash will soon be ready to pick, and I planted it. The bean plants are covered with perfect fat beans, and no beetle is in sight. A flock of migrating violet-green swallows has alighted on the wires overhead.
It's time for breakfast. I feel grateful.
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