For as long as I can remember my father has always stressed the importance of reading. When I was a little girl, he would cut snippets out of magazines, highlight articles in the New York Times, and send me daily emails linked with article after article. These readings would be filled with all sorts of topics, ranging from how to succeed in the business world to how to be ethical and strong-willed.
The amount of articles and emails I started to receive grew exponentially when I arrived for my first semester at Penn State. The exchange of letters and emails with my father not only strengthened our bond, but it gave me peace of mind during a very difficult time in my life. My transition to college life was a bit of a bumpy road. Leaving behind my friends and family to attend a huge university like Penn State, left me feeling anxious and alone a lot of the time. And then my father introduced me to Stoicism.
My dad has been interested in Stoicism for years because he has always believed in the power of knowledge that comes along with reading. He explained to me that Stoicism is not a new phenomenon. World leaders, professional athletes, artists, and CEOs have incorporated stoicism into their daily lives for centuries. I have made it my mission to do just this.
For me, Stoicism is a way to meditate and reflect on words of wisdom that help control my reactions to life’s hurdles. For Christmas this year, my dad gifted my sisters and I with the “The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living”. Every night before I fall asleep, I read the meditation for the day and try to figure how its message applies to my own life. One of my favorite passages so far reads, “Let all your efforts be directed to something, let it keep that end in view. It’s not activity that disturbs people, but false conceptions of things that drive them mad.” When I read this before bed, I was reminded to redirect my focus and remember my goals and intentions.
This verse was written by Seneca, a Roman Stoic philosopher born about two thousand years ago. This is one of the my favorites parts about Stoicism. These messages were written thousands of years ago by people like Emperor Marcus Aurelius and philosophers like Seneca and Epictetus, people who, in theory I should have very little in common with. However, the themes they portray are applicable to people of all different backgrounds.
When my father gave me the book he said, “If I had discovered Stoicism at your age I would have saved myself so many nights lying awake with my mind racing, so many punched walls, and so much time worrying about things I couldn’t control”. I believe in the lessons that Stoicism has to offer and the lasting impact it has on the lives of all who listen to its messages.