Stoicism - The Art Of Resilience
“I can practice steadiness. I can practice accepting things I cannot change. I can practice a certain calmness, a certain coolness, an understanding of how to really just be content with what I have. Understanding that there are certain things that I may yearn for but it may not be great for me. Understanding that certain failures are going to help shape me and make me into a better person to where I won't be afraid of those failures.”
What he is describing, of course, is Stoicism. The writer Paul Kix recently wove the seemingly disparate stories of Saban and the Patriots, Kiffin and Shazier, McCollum and others into a very generous and inspiring piece for ESPN on the power of Stoicism in sports.
In it, he shows what Seneca tried to show two thousand years ago when he asked and answered:
“What does philosophy offer?”
It offers guidance, he said. It offers counsel.
When we’re on top. And when we’re knocked down. When we’re young and when we’re old. Rich or poor. In the arena or on the sidelines.
Of course,
Stoicism is not a magical recipe for achievement. It will not give you everything that you want.
As Kix writes of Shazier, who dreams of returning to the NFL but may not make it, “Life is not positive thinking or rah-rah quotes or even a book about Stoic resilience. Life is difficult. Sometimes the obstacle in the path does not move.”
But if Stoicism doesn’t give us what we want, it can at least give us what we need.
Comfort. Truth. Steadiness. Calmness.
The tools to deal with what we cannot change. The understanding that our failures shape us and the courage to face them.
inSight Nutrition & Lifestyle, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Get in touch: neil@insightnl.ca or Contact Us here
Providing nutrition and lifestyle advice for clients in Fredericton, NB and across the world, Neil Burchill brings a wealth of knowledge and insight from his real life experiences struggling with sustainable nutrition, lifestyle and fitness challenges.
