The year past and the year ahead

He is free who lives as he likes; who is not subject to compulsion, to restraint, or to violence; whose pursuits are unhindered, his desires successful, his aversions unincurred.  Who, then, would wish to lead a wrong course of life? - Epictetus, Discourses, 4.1

It’s the beginning of a new year – and with it comes a renewed opportunity to reflect on the ways that practicing Stoicism have enriched my life; helped me engage in more fulfilling experiences; and provided more enjoyable interactions with the people I’ve encountered throughout my days.  

Over the past twelve months, I’ve not shared any writings of my own in this space – but I’ve consistently read the words of others, which I found especially helpful as I encountered some very significant changes throughout 2024.  I’ve taken inspiration, hope, encouragement, and sometimes solace as my husband and I have navigated a move into a new home, expanded our business, supported our family members as they faced significant health challenges – and as I personally encountered major disruptions to my employment, which resulted in new professional positions – but also significant differences in the way I structure my time and my working relationships.  And through it all, I know that I’ve been able to address all of these circumstances more thoughtfully, even in the face of uncertain outcomes, as a direct result of my ongoing Stoic practice.

Choosing our reactions to events

As I found myself in the midst of these departures, interruptions, and occasional new adventures over the past year, I understood that I was free to react with any number of feelings, actions, behaviours, and emotions.  As events unfolded, I could have chosen fear, anger, or – even worse – denied my ability to act and react.  Instead, I was able to focus on the freedom I have to experience my life honestly and in accordance with nature – and make use of my capacity to process what I was going through in ways that supported a better appreciation for the Stoic virtues.  This was particularly true in the case of my shifting employment – which, while certainly not expected, has been an oddly welcome disruption and has helped me to move away from what could have been a comfortable, but no less “wrong” course of life.  The places I’ve been pushed to, due to this change, have forced me to exercise new approaches to creating a sense of harmony – and while it has been challenging at times, it has been incredibly rewarding.

The past year offered many opportunities to think a good deal about how Stoicism can help in all walks of life – and how we can take opportunities to practice Stoic virtue no matter what our circumstances might be.

The temptation to act selfishly

As an example, I was recently thinking about how we might find occasions to exhibit justice.  It could be as simple as making sure we act in a trustworthy, honest, and ethical manner – even if (or especially when) it might be difficult to do so.  The duty to act honourably and avoid harming others is key.  But it can be tempting to put our own needs ahead of the needs of others – and if we choose to do so, we also risk acting in ways that demonstrate an additional threat to our ability to live according to Stoic principles – namely, we show a lack of courage.  

Ethics over expediency

Facing life's challenges without losing your principles can be difficult – but when we display courage we also, naturally, find ourselves practicing temperance/ moderation by regulating our impulses and choosing to control temptations and bad habits.  Finally, as we consider all of these virtues working together, we know that the decisions we make on a daily basis provide us with knowledge of what is good, what is neutral, and what is evil – and all of that adds up to wisdom.

How Stoicism can help

This combined set of experiences is something that we can call on at any time to help us in any aspect of our lives – including the unexpected ones.  As an example, when our movers had to cancel the morning of our move, my husband and I could have been tempted to give in to resentment, anger, or despair – but instead, we dug in to keep calm and practice temperance.  Stoicism also provided the foundation I relied on when moving from being a faculty member in higher education to assuming new roles in government and academic administration – and it’s the kind of thing I called on when learning about my family’s health challenges.  

For me, not only is Stoicism something that can help me in all walks of life, it’s become the main thing for me to be able to navigate the roadmaps as they shift and take me to new places every day.  And for that, I am extremely grateful – and look forward to a year ahead and the opportunities it will bring.

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