Getting Back Up

This entry is part 13 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

There’s a kind of quiet that doesn’t feel restful. It doesn’t come with peace, but with the absence of direction, of companionship, of the little structures that give shape to a day. I felt that type of quiet this past Wednesday. Not the calm kind I enjoy on my early morning walks, but something uneasy. An emptiness after the full rush of last week. Last week, I had a purpose. But then came Wednesday: quieter, aimless, still. No appointments. No Teams meetings. No urgent tasks. Just me, in a room that felt too quiet.

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Willing or Dragged: Cleanthes, Fate, and the Way of Alignment

This entry is part 12 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

What if freedom isn’t about control, but about cooperation with the deeper order of things? Inspired by Cleanthes’ timeless Stoic insight, this essay explores how fate doesn’t force us—it invites us. Whether guided or dragged, the choice is ours.

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James Stockdale: Resilience, Reality, and the Courage to Endure

This entry is part 11 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

This past Saturday, June 21, I attended a live performance of Hidden Brain, hosted by Shankar Vedantam. The theme of the show was how perception shapes our choices. It offered seven short insights, each compelling in its own way. But for me, the most powerful came right at the beginning. Vedantam opened with the story of Admiral James Stockdale. Most people remember him as Ross Perot’s running mate in 1992. In the vice-presidential debate, he opened awkwardly with, “Who am I? Why am I here?” That moment became a punchline, though I’m sure he was being his naturally insightful self. What didn’t make the headlines was the life he had already lived. That life included years of study, intense personal discipline, and an unmatched example of inner strength.

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Why We Turn to the Stoics: Wisdom for Troubled Times

This entry is part 39 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

We often imagine philosophy as a distant, academic pursuit that can seem abstract and untethered. But Stoicism has never been like that. From its earliest roots in ancient Greece, Stoicism was always meant to be lived, not just studied. It was forged not in ivory towers but in marketplaces, battlefields, and courtrooms. Its great teachers, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, weren’t cloistered scholars. They were slaves, emperors, and advisors. They lived in the thick of things, often in perilous times, as do we. In our current world, shaped by uncertainty, political upheaval, global conflict, and the erosion of trust in institutions, many of us are looking for something steady. Not false reassurance. Not a distraction. But clarity. A framework that doesn’t promise control over the chaos but a way to remain centered within it.

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The Quiet Success of Inner Peace

This entry is part 10 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Discover how a simple fortune cookie led to a deeper understanding of Stoic wisdom. Explore the idea that true success lies not in status or wealth but in mastering inner calm. A quiet moment over dinner revealed a profound truth: inner peace, not external achievement, may be the ultimate form of success. This reflection explores the connection between Stoic philosophy and the serenity that comes from within.

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“You Belong Every Place” — Stoic Wisdom and the Freedom of Self-Acceptance

This entry is part 9 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Every human being craves belonging. It’s why we form communities, join movements, wear team colors, and fly flags. We long for connection. But that longing can also become a trap, especially when our sense of worth is tied to others’ approval. In a time of personal upheaval, when you’ve lost a job or face uncertainty in your role or identity, the question of “Where do I belong?” can feel especially heavy. The layoffs, the narrowed opportunities, and the shifting terrain of social and political support can leave one feeling untethered and drifting. But Stoicism offers a grounding perspective. The Stoic does not belong to a company, a title, or even a particular season of life. The Stoic belongs to reason, to virtue, to nature. And those, as Marcus Aurelius wrote, are always with us, always within reach.

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When the Ground Shifts: A Stoic Response to Loss and Uncertainty

This entry is part 8 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

I was warned this day might come—and now it has. The call came. I’ve been laid off. Even this—the disappointment, the uncertainty—can become fuel, not in the sense of revenge or retribution but in the sense of transformation. What has been taken from me can become something I rebuild, redirect, or refine, but only if I stay in motion. “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.”

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Listen to Lead

This entry is part 7 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

“Listen to lead.” I saw this phrase this past week while walking through the vendor area at the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Palm Beach Atlantic University had it on stickers and t-shirts. It caused me to pause for a moment. I’ve been on a contemplative journey lately that started with a challenge to consider some lessons from the Stoics. I’d been looking for the next topic; inspiration struck when I saw that sticker.

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Now That You Know: A Stoic Response to Injustice During Pride Month

This entry is part 6 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

“You may choose to look away, but you can never again say you did not know.” —William Wilberforce There are moments in life when we are confronted with a clear, morally unambiguous truth that strips away all our comfortable illusions. Wilberforce’s words aren’t just a condemnation of apathy but an indictment of complicity. Once you’ve seen injustice, silence is no longer neutral. It’s a choice. Ancient Stoics would have understood this. For all their restraint and talk of inner calm, the Stoics were not spectators. They believed in moral clarity and civic virtue. To live a good life was not to retreat from the world but to meet it head-on—with courage, justice, and integrity.

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Rooted and Consequential: Stoic Wisdom for Life’s Transitions

This entry is part 5 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

In a recent sermon titled Trusting God in Life’s Transitions, my pastor, Rev. Magrey deVega, offered a line that I had to write down: “Actions without contemplation are unrooted, and contemplation without action is inconsequential.” For me, this landed in the middle of a personal storm. I find myself in a significant life transition. I’ve been warned of a likely layoff. My company is a federal contractor, and with contracts drying up, so might my role. While I’ve technically reached retirement age, I’m still eight months shy of qualifying for my full benefits age. I love what I do. I’m healthy and engaged, and I still have more to offer. But I’m also not as financially prepared as I wish I were. And I know—painfully well—the ageism that exists in the job market. It’s a lot to sit with.

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Summum Bonum: Navigating Life by the Highest Good

This entry is part 4 of 47 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

In a world that constantly shouts at us—“Buy this! Be that! Hurry up!”—It’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. New trends, metrics, or moral panics are always trying to claim your time and energy. This raises a profound question: What is truly worth living for? The pursuit of the highest good is not simple. It demands something of us—sometimes a great deal. It requires saying no when saying yes would be easier. It calls for patience when the world rewards immediate reactions. It demands courage when fear would be much more convenient. But it is also freeing. When you let go of the need to gain everyone’s approval, avoid every mistake, or secure every possible outcome, you begin to live with more peace, not because your life is perfect, but because your intent is clear.

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