Deep Something

Embracing the Unforeseen

August 17, 2025 B. John 1360 Views 0 Comments surprises, Stoicism, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Resilience, love, Acceptance, Family, Seneca, Dichotomy of Control

So I’ll drive north. I’ll carry with me a fortune cookie scrap of paper that turned out wiser than I expected. And I’ll try to remember that philosophy is not about lofty words on a page. It’s about how you hold yourself when the phone rings at 3 a.m., how you respond when plans dissolve, how you see both the bitter and the sweet.

Marcus and Seneca remind us: surprises are not intruders. They are part of the order of things. To embrace them is to live in step with nature itself.

And maybe that is the real fortune. Not that life will protect us from pain, but that it will give us endless chances to practice courage, patience, and love.

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Amor Fati: Love What Happens

July 13, 2025August 5, 2025 B. John 2104 Views 2 Comments Marcus Aurelius, justice, Resilience, Courage, Amor Fati, Hope, Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr, Acceptance, Moral Clarit, Stoicism, Fate

In a time of political unrest, personal uncertainty, and social fracture, the ancient Stoic idea of Amor Fati — to love one’s fate — offers a powerful challenge. Not to surrender to injustice, but to meet it with clarity, courage, and compassion. This essay reflects on the tension between acceptance and action, drawing on Marcus Aurelius, the Serenity Prayer, and a timely conversation with Rev. Justin LaRosa to explore how we can live fully and faithfully in the world we have, not just the one we wish for.