Stoic Sunday

The future holds many unknowns, that’s why it’s elusive.

Treat what you don’t have as nonexistent. Look at what you have, the things you value most, and think of how much you’d crave them if you didn’t have them. But be careful. Don’t feel such satisfaction that you start to overvalue them — that it would upset you to lose them. — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

In a world of a thousand things, it’s easy to fret over unwanted desires. It has become natural to lament over future aspirations that fall short. Sometimes, our habit of comparison with others makes us feel less than we should.

The future holds many unknowns, and that’s what makes it elusive.

However, there is also something elusive about acknowledging what we do have and imagining a life without it.

Contemplating life without the friends and family I have makes me sad. Not having functional limbs and a healthy body is unfathomable. I’m lucky beyond words to know what I do and share what I can.

I urge you to try this exercise. Spend some time thinking about what you have right now and how life would look if all of it went away today.

Although the truth is that everything we have will go away at some point, the fact that we have what we do is always a reason to find happiness in what is right in front of us.

With love,
Anand

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