T

February    12th

PROTECT YOUR    PEACE   OF  MIND

“Keep   constant    guard   over    your    perceptions,    for it  is  no  small   thing   you are protecting, but your

respect,    trustworthiness and steadiness, peace   of  mind,   freedom from    pain    and fear,   in  a   word

your    freedom.    For what    would   you sell    these   things?”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6b–8

he dysfunctional job that stresses you out, a contentious relationship, life in the spotlight. Stoicism,
because it helps us manage and think through our emotional reactions, can make these kinds of
situations easier to bear. It can help you manage and mitigate the triggers that seem to be so constantly
tripped.
But here’s a question: Why are you subjecting yourself to this? Is this really the environment you were
made for? To be provoked by nasty emails and an endless parade of workplace problems? Our adrenal
glands can handle only so much before they become exhausted. Shouldn’t you preserve them for life-and-
death situations?
So yes, use Stoicism to manage these difficulties. But don’t forget to ask: Is this really the life I want?
Every time you get upset, a little bit of life leaves the body. Are these really the things on which you want
to spend that priceless resource? Don’t be afraid to make a change—a big one.