stoic | Peter "Just Loves Flying"

October 31, 2017

Daily Stoic

Thanks to Daily Stoic for sharing…

In America [and Europe], it’s Halloween, which is a fun holiday for children. In Mexico, however, it is the beginning of Día de los Muertos, a much more adult and philosophical holiday. All throughout Mexico, people will gather not to eat candy but to celebrate and remember their friends and family who have died. It is, in a sense, a three day commemoration of the idea of memento mori—a kind of collective bereavement mixed with the fun of a jazz funeral.

The great Montaigne would tell of a story that had trickled back to him from the New World, of an ancient drinking game where the members took turns holding up a painting of a corpse inside a coffin and cheered “Drink and be merry for when you’re dead you will look like this.” This cheeky but also profound observation captures the spirit of Día de los Muertos quite well with imagery of skulls and skeletons, the makeup and the music and the dancing, the praying and the altars set up to honor those who have left.

It might seem strange to celebrate death in this way, and stranger still to involve children in it. But is it really that stranger than banishing any thought of death from our lives and letting it return to us only as a dreaded nightmare? There is real value in taking time to process and grieve and dance with the morbidity of our mortality, of creating a ritual that allows us to come to terms with this essential part of our existence. Better to be on good terms with death and to schedule an annual check up than to be surprised and shocked by this enemy we pretend doesn’t exist.

So drink and be merry today and celebrate the day of the dead. Say goodbye to the people you have lost and enjoy the people you are lucky enough to still have with you. That’s all we can do.

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P.S. For more ways to keep Stoic principles in mind as you navigate your day, check out our Daily Stoic Store. It features our popular amor fati and memento mori medallions, Marcus Aurelius print, and more. Also, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living is available everywhere books are sold.

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Practice Being Mindful Discovering Your Happiness

October 27, 2017

Many thanks to Practice Being Mindful — Discovering Your Happiness for sharing…

There is a VERY BIG difference to being ‘mindful‘ compared to ‘mind full‘

I practice mindfulness because I know it gives me that ‘I can totally handle this even though everything is burning to the ground’ mindset. The only problem is that mindfulness isn’t always straightforward or easy to do. The hardest part is simply remembering to be mindful.

It’s easy to forget about mindfulness because of the craziness of our daily schedules…but that’s exactly when we need mindfulness. After all, mindfulness helps us make our days more calm and less stressful.

Struggling with mindfulness yourself? Here are five tips to make mindfulness easier so you can to integrate it into your daily life!

CREATE OBVIOUS REMINDERS

Make mindfulness easier by reminding yourself often. This could be through reminders on your phone telling you to be mindful or post-it notes left in places you’ll look frequently. You could even use something like a physical object to remind you to be mindful. For example, if there’s a candle you like, you can tell yourself to be present in the moment whenever you light it.

MAKE IT A PRACTICE

Another way to make mindfulness easier is through a regular practice. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, or another form of mindfulness, getting into a routine will make mindfulness a whole lot easier. I find that using an app for meditation also makes this less daunting.

REDUCE THE NOISE

In order to get more mindful, it’s important to remove the constant noise that distracts you from the present moment. I’m talking about all of the social media accounts you follow that don’t add any value to your life. Go on an unfollowing spree and give your brain a break from anything that causes you to compare yourself to others, doubt your self-worth, or grinds your gears. You can also unsubscribe from all of the newsletters you *magically* got subscribed to using unroll.me. (I honestly just unsubscribed to 114 companies that I no longer want to get emails from, best website evvvvvvvvver!)

GET ON-BOARD WITH GRATITUDE

Taking some time each day to write what you’re grateful for is a great way to add more mindfulness into your routine. Try writing down three things you’re grateful for before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning. Not only does this help shift a negative mindset, it also means you’re taking time to be more mindful about what’s good in your life.

INTENTIONALLY PLAN YOUR DAY

Combine productivity and mindfulness by intentionally planning out your day. One way to do this is to choose the top three things that must get done today. These are the things that are going to add the most value and purpose to your day. By doing this, you are being more mindful about your priorities, and you’re less likely to get distracted because you know exactly what you need to do.

Wherever you are in the world, have a lovely day

via Practice Being Mindful — Discovering Your Happiness