Wherever you go There YOU Are

Someone who hasn’t found peace within himself will not find peace outside of himself. It doesn’t matter where he goes, or what he does, the person that he is will be there with him.

"When a man is getting better he understands more clearly the evil that is left in him... A moderatly bad man knows he is not very good; a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right."
-C.S.Lewis

We gain peace through our actions; by doing the right things. In order to do those things, the right way, we must first learn about what those things are which is where Philosophy comes into play. Seneca, in his “letters from a stoic” work, believes the right things can be found in stoicism - to live in accordance with nature and to control our wants (as they may be as infinite as the universe itself).

“Enough is never too little, and not enough is never enough.”
-Seneca

Spend some time reflecting on what you’re doing on a daily basis. Are there areas that could be improved? Are you exercising enough? Are you eating correctly? How do you sleep? Are you helping others? Are you spending enough time with those close to you? Are you reading enough? Are you living below your means? Are you following through on your promises?

Recommended Readings:

• “Living issues in Philosophy” by Harold Titus & Marilyn Smith
• “Letters from a Stoic” by Seneca
• “Meditation” by Marcus Aurelius

iPod Nano Was My Introduction to Apple

My first introduction to the Apple device ecosystem was with an iPod Nano I had received as a gift roughly 15 years ago. I was immediately blown away by the simplicity and built quality of the device compared to other products of the time.

The iPod Nano never was an Apple flagship device yet they treated it with the same sort of care as any other device they produced. I've bought thousands of dollars worth of Apple devices since that iPod Nano. What would of happened if Apple had decided to treat the iPod Nano as a low quality/throw away product? If first impression is everything then it's very unlikely that I would of bought any additional Apple products.

A company shows their loyalty to their customers through the quality of their products/services. Apple understand that their reputation is on the line for any products that they release.

My friends are quick to point out how overpriced/underpowered Apple devices are but I can't see myself buying anything else but an iPhone/iPad/Apple Watch...

I will always remember when my friend was advertising his powerful new Android device only to have the screen fall off after the glue melted during an extended play session. What's the point of having all that performance in a device that clearly couldn't handle it?

The battery of the iPod Nano has since died but the device has remained almost identical to the day I first received it which is something I can't say about my other MP3 players of the time. I recently received a 2013 iPad, that still works, which I use for reading. Those "overpriced/underpowered" devices are good enough for me.

Qualities Worth Remembering

We'll die whether we live a life of virtue or not. Some people have lived in such a way that they've been remembered long after they've passed simply because they had qualities worth remembering.

To understand those qualities, we need to reflect on the historical figures we remember:

• When we think of Socrates, we think of a man who could of escaped his death sentence but chose instead to honor it. 
• When we think of Leo Major, we think of a man who single-handedly liberated an entire German occupied city during World War 2. 
• When we think of Benkei no Tachi Ōjō, we think of a man who killed 300 men while defending his lord, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, from attackers.

Honor, courage, duty...those are the qualities that they've been remembered for. We may never be faced with the extreme situations that they've gone through but we can still let their experience inspire us to move forward in life.

"If you want to enjoy real freedom, you must become a servant of Philosophy."

-Epicurus

Self-care is Your Responsibility

“If you want to command your own life in a way that benefits you and harms no one else, first clear your own faults out of the way.” -Seneca

In an Airplane, if cabin pressure drops, oxygen masks deploy, and you're told to secure your own before assisting others. It ensures you're conscious and capable before trying to help anyone else. But this principle also applies to life more broadly—self-care isn’t selfish; it’s necessary. Additionally Self-care is your responsibility: You're responsible for your mind, heart and body. 

In a relationship, it's normal to want the well-being of your partner, and support each other, but ultimately your partner is, also, responsible for the "heavy-lifting" in regards to their own self-care as you can't force someone to take care of themselves.

Many people are miserable because self-care requires the sort of effort they're not willing to partake in. The longer someone remains miserable the more difficult it is to get out of it as they find comfort in their misery. They can become familiar with their pain, even attached to it, because at least it's known.

Self-care is the secret of living well. Life is better when you feel good about yourself.

Reducing The Chances of Depression

 “Every emotion is weak at first, but then it gains strength as it progresses. It’s easier to prevent it from starting than to stop it once it has begun.” -Seneca

To simplify Seneca’s words: Prevention is easier than medication. The best way to fight depression is to live in such a way as to minimize the risk of developing depression. Some things, such as loss, are outside of our control and can cause depression. Many things, however, are within our control and we simply fail to associate them with depression. If we don’t exercise, socialize, eat properly, sleep well, or go outside... over time, these bad habits will increase the likelihood we’ll develop depression. Often depression is, like obesity, the result of bad habits which mean that a change in lifestyle may be require in order to change our outlook on life. Mental health, like physical health, requires effort in order to be maintained. Let’s insure that what’s within our control is as good as we have the energy to make it.