The art of living

Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and all the other great stoics of that generation have left us some guiding principles and virtues to live life by.

Living in agreement with nature. Living in harmony with the universe and with ourselves. Being consistent between our thoughts and actions, this allows us to flow through life smoothly with inner peace. Flourishing as individuals and fulfilling our human nature. This is the source of happiness.

The nature of self, of the world, of thoughts, of things, of actions, of that which surround us, which are within our control and that which is not in our control and how we interact with internal and external events.

True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence on the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient.

How can we live a happy life?

According to Marcus Aurelius, if we follow the 4 cardinal virtues, it is possible to live a meaningful life that leads to a happy life.

The virtues are:

• Courage
• Justice
• Temperance
• Wisdom

Before we get into the 4 virtues, let's define virtue.

Virtue is moral excellence. Virtue is a point between a deficiency and an excess of a particular trait. Does this mean virtue is the middle point? No, it means that some traits like fortitude, tolerance or honesty can be more closer to the excess side of the scale compared to traits like foolishness, weakness or impulsiveness which ought to be on the deficiency side.

Therefore, Virtue is a habit of mind in harmony with reason and the order of nature.

Courage

Eudaimonia. Courage is flourishing. It is the end goal of one's existence, good flow of life, which is living in agreement with nature.

Courage is the opposite of cowardice. Courage is endurance, confidence, high-mindedness, cheerfulness, and industriousness.

Courage is the fortitude of mind, body and actions whether strength, endurance, and the ability to confront fear, uncertainty and intimidation.

We can cultivate courage by controlled adversity, by gradually exposing ourselves to new things. In this way, we become more confident, strong and skilled.

• "Sometimes even to live is an act of courage." - Seneca

• "If you want to be a writer, write." - Epictetus

The world is a narrow bridge, and the important thing is to not be afraid. Fear is not real. All We have to do is take the first step, get out of our comfort zone and push forward.

• "fortes fortuna iuvat" - Latin proverb - meaning: "Fortune favors the brave".

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

From this instant on, I vow to stop disappointing myself. I decide to be extraordinary and do what I need to do, now.

Justice

Justice is the virtue of treating others more fairly and doing the right thing. As Marcus Aurelius said: "Do the right thing, the rest doesn't matter". This virtue teach us kindness, benevolence and good will towards others.

A just man is courageous, in that he will even face a lion, endure the pain and possible death to protect the ones that cannot defend themselves, because their lives matter to him, just like his own.

Thus, the earth, all humanity, the community, friends and family, deserving of justice, are all drawn to the center of one's self.

Temperance

Temperance is moderation, restraint, self-discipline and sound-mindedness.

There must be a balance to know what to choose, what to avoid and what things not to do at all. We are to do the right number of things in the right way, and avoiding excess through sheer will power.

If someone provokes you to fall into vice, inciting violence, fear, hatred and so on, you ought to act thoughtfully. Refrain from revenge by practicing non-violence and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance by practicing humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as extravagant luxury or splurging, and restraint from rage or craving by practicing calmness and self-control.

As Marcus Aurelius adds: "The best revenge is not to be like your enemy". It is self-control, and not allow external events take control of our emotions, not be manipulated into behaving a certain way, but in being able to control how we choose to respond when faced with adversity.

• The domestication of your emotions, not the elimination of your emotions.

As Epictetus said: "Do not seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen, and all will be well with you."

Realizing that some things are within our control and other things are out of our control. The dichotomy of control. As Epictetus tells us that our job is to then develop the wisdom to distinguish what things are and what things are not in our control. We should then focus on what is within our control and work on accepting what is not within our control.

I can choose to be of sound mind, calm, and practice moderation, self-control, so as to preserve my peace of mind.

Wisdom

Wisdom is the summation of courage, justice and temperance. It is an invitation to being a better human being, living a fulfilling life, a happy life in agreement with nature.

Wisdom is the ability to discern the difference between right and wrong and take the appropriate course of action in a given situation at the appropriate time, with consideration of potential consequences.

We maintain control of our mind, express ourselves honestly, rationally and always seek the truth. We seek to understand our own nature and that of the world around us. Our values are clear to us and our actions more consistent with them.

Other people's opinions are far less important to us than our own sense of what's wise or foolish, right or wrong. Health, wealth and reputation may sometimes be preferable in life, but they're not necessary to excel and flourish as a human being.

Each moment of the day, is always an opportunity for us to learn something new.

• "No man is free who is not a master of himself." - Epictetus