Your Daily Actions Are Betraying Your Goals | Here's Why

And it does look as though we are successfully connected to the Creative on Purpose Facebook page. Hey everybody, I'm Scott Perry. I am a husband, a father, a teacher, and a musician from Floyd, Virginia. I'm also the founder of Creative on Purpose, where I have— where I blog and broadcast, and where I have also launched two best-selling Amazon titles. The current one is called Endeavor: Cultivate Excellence While Making a Difference, and a previous title is called The Stoic Creative Handbook. And today I am actually indeed here to talk with you a little bit about how Stoicism can help you endeavor better, how this ancient Hellenistic philosophy can actually inform and inspire you to do better and to do more in the great work that you're working on or that you aspire to do. So As you may know, this enterprise of mine, Creative on Purpose, began as first The Stoic Guitarist and then later The Stoic Creative, from which the book title came. And even though I do not as often overtly reference my appreciation and study of Stoic philosophy these days at Creative on Purpose, it is something that is very essential to me. It's at the core of who I am, and it kind continues to inform my journey and inspire every day. So today, again, I just want to talk a little bit about why stoicism matters, how it can help you stress less and thrive more as you engage in the inevitable challenges that come with doing more work that matters. And of course, I would love to answer your questions, so if and as they come up, feel free to add them in the comments below. You'll note that I shared links already to two titles. The first is Endeavor Better, which is a free 38-page handbook that gives you a complete process for how you can identify work, your next endeavor, some sort of enterprise that will add meaning to your life and encourage you to cultivate excellence within yourself as you improve the lives of others. And then a link to the Amazon title, The Stoic Creative Handbook, which is still selling copies every day. So let's get to Stoicism. So Stoicism is, as I mentioned, an ancient Hellenistic philosophy, but it's also just a plain everyday English word. And therein lies the rub, because stoicism with a small s— common English usage stoicism— is the idea that you just kind of grimly endure life's challenges, misfortunes, vicissitudes, and mistakes, and so forth, and that you simply bury your feelings and you, you just grimly endure all of that. Stoicism with a capital S, the ancient Hellenistic philosophy, is actually quite the opposite. It actually encourages you to cultivate healthy emotions and to dispel yourself of unhealthy emotions. To be present and to flourish even as you face challenging situations, even as you figure out how to flip misfortune to your advantage, even as you seek opportunities in the obstacles that life throws at you. So the two words mean two very different things. And so be just assured and understand that I am talking— when I talk about Stoicism, about Stoicism with a capital S, the ancient philosophy of life that began in ancient Greece with Zeno in the 300s BC and experienced, uh, flourishing and popular— popularity through the 500s AD in Rome, and whose ideas and concepts and the maxims and anecdotes that you may see in social media come from the works of 3 primary Stoics: Marcus Aurelius, my favorite and the last of the good emperors of Rome; Epictetus, the slave turned teacher whose Handbook is still one of the primary Stoic texts; and Seneca, the playwright, the statesman, the advisor to Nero, who has— whose letters still survive and have much to teach us about this ancient philosophy. So now, while it's true that Stoicism is kind of enjoying a resurgence in popularity today, it's, it's experienced many such resurgences. It fell out of favor with the rise of Christianity. One of the things that the Christians were very very good at was co-opting the very best ideas of the ancient philosophies that they were kind of coming up in, and the spiritual traditions that they were coming— rising, that were available as Christianity was rising in popularity. And so you will see, for instance, in things like the Lord's Prayer, that there are— that there's certain things that seem to rhyme with ancient— with Stoicism and with other philosophies. And And so Stoicism fell out of popular favor, but it remained something that was on the radar for many, many great historical figures. We know that Nelson Mandela was a student of Stoicism. Admiral Stockdale wrote a book about how Stoicism helped him survive an extended stay in a prison of war camp in Vietnam when his plane was shot down. During the Vietnam conflict. Another Stoic is Viktor Frankl, the great philosopher and teacher and writer who cited Stoicism as something that helped him endure, I think it was 7 different stays in 7 different concentration camps during World War II. So it's been around, It's time-tested. Founding— some of the Founding Fathers read the works of the Stoics, and on and on and on through history. So the thing about Stoicism, and one of the reasons why I think it endures as a philosophy of life and helps people who are engaged in doing great work, and who are engaged with doing great work that serves themselves while it serves others, and doing work with and for other people is that the Stoics believed that the answers to life's big questions—what does it mean to be human, what does it mean to be happy, and how can I be more of both—really came down to this idea of eudaimonia, this idea of human flourishing, that we can experience happiness, health, well-being, tranquility, equanimity even when things are going sideways, even when things are not going our way, even when we are facing all of life's worst moments. And the reason that they were— or what they tapped into to kind of achieve this was that they recognized that all that was really required to be happy, to experience well-being, was what is often called virtue, but might— what might be better defined as excellence of character. In ancient Greece, it was called arete. And that since character was all that mattered, all that was required for happiness and for flourishing, that anything else above and beyond that was just, uh, might be a welcome external but it was not necessary, it was not required to be happy. And so as long as you maintain your, your excellence of character and continue to work at developing that potential and cultivating that excellence of character, then you could maintain happiness. Some of the things that the ancient Stoics also got right was that the idea that, that it was important to live in what they called accordance with nature. And what they meant by that was not just the nature that surrounds us, the trees and the rivers and, and so forth, but our human nature and the nature of all things, the nature of the cosmos itself, that we needed to be living in agreement and in alignment with that. And toward— to our human nature, they felt that there was really two defining human characteristics. The first was that we are uniquely born with the capacity for reason, and that we are born as social creatures, that being a member of society is required, that we must— to survive as human beings, we have to live with others, and that when we do that and work on ourselves and work with others, that we can elevate the lives of everyone. And so, and another thing that the Stoics got right that can really impact your ability to endeavor better is this idea of purpose and presence and agency. So I'll kind of take those in reverse order. So agency is simply who's in charge and what you are you in charge of. And what the Stoics decided was that ultimately you only control two things: you control the way you you see things, your perception, and what you decide to do next, your actions. So you control what— how you interpret what you see, and you control what you decide to do next. And towards the idea of presence, it was therefore determined that the only time that you had the ability to use the two things that you control, your perception and your ability to choose what you do next is in the here and now, what the Romans would call the hic et nunc. And so presence was very important. And so of course you may feel like you're hearing resonance with Buddhist spiritual practices and meditation. It's very, very true that Stoics practice their own kind of mindfulness, their own kind of presence practice, and that being in the here and now was something that was really, really important because that's where you are at your most powerful. That is where you are at the most in control of yourself and your situation. Now, even though there are only two things that we control— our perception and our actions— and everything else therefore is outside of our control, that means that we don't control other people, that we don't control events, we don't control situations and circumstances that we find ourselves in. Uh, there are areas where we do have the ability to exert some influence, that we can influence the results that we seek, and that if we are in the present moment and we are in control of the way that we choose to see things and the choices that we make about what to do next, we have the most ability and the— are at our most powerful to influence the results that we seek. So again, all of this really, really important as you're thinking about and as you're engaging in work that seeks to change things, work that seeks to make a difference, work that seeks to make things better by making better things, as Seth Godin says. So, uh, I'm gonna share some, some exercises that the Stoics practiced. One of the other great things about Sto— the Stoics is that they— they're the existent Stoic works. Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, Epictetus' Handbook and Manual, and Seneca's Letters are just— they're riddled with great maxims, aphorisms, little sayings that you can keep close to mind that will help you, uh, remember to stay present, that will help you remember to engage your agency, that will help you remember that ultimately it is the content of your character and the excellence of that character that really matters the most. And so the, the idea that we can cultivate these things not only enables us to continue to nourish and cultivate our excellence of character, but it also enables us to build resilience and resolve when things don't go our way. And It provides this idea that even when there is no good that seems to be able to come out of a situation— so the Stoics were really big on looking at things from, from a distance and being able to, to see if there was an opportunity within an obstacle, a way to flip a misfortune to our advantage— but sometimes it's obvious that things are just going sideways and not going to go our way. And even in that moment, Stoics would say that you have the opportunity to practice virtue, that you have the ability to practice the virtues of acceptance, of perseverance, of patience, of humility. And so again, always, always opportunity to practice virtue. So before I go into some, um, kind of hands-on exercises, things that you can— takeaways that you can start putting to use in your work and in your life right now— I'm just going to quickly check to see Looks like we have a bunch of people here, which is always fantastic. I do not see that we have any questions at the moment, and that of course is totally fine. So, um, just if you have questions, you can write them in the comments here. I'd be happy to answer any questions. If you have comments or insights about Stoicism that you want to share, that's fine. Again, you can, uh, in the comments below I have listed two links. One of those is for a free 38-page handbook that I recently put together called Endeavor Better. It gives you a, a complete process for how you can identify the work that you're meant to do now, the kind of work that will cultivate excellence within you as you improve the lives of others. So let's get to these exercises of the Stoics. So I'm going to share with you four different exercises that I find really, really helpful. The Stoics have many, many kind of disciplines and practices that you can put to use in your day-to-day life to both cultivate tranquility and equanimity even when things are going wrong, but also to continue to cultivate character. So the first is called the view from above, and it's just what it sounds like. It's simply taking a bird's-eye view of yourself and zooming in on yourself. And then starting to rise and take a wider view. So that you see yourself, and then you see your family, and your friends and neighbors, and then the people in your town, the people in your county, the people in your state, region, country, and you can zoom all the way out into the planetary realm. And what this is is, is an exercise in contextualizing yourself and your situation and your place in the cosmos, your place in the world, your place in the grand scheme of things. And what it helps me do is, you know, as somebody that spends a lot of time working by themselves and on their own, it's easy to get stuck in my head. It's easy to get very caught up in my own situation, in my own thoughts, in my own dreams and desires. And this exercise helps me stop taking myself so seriously and often helps me get out of my own way and get out of my, my own head and see the bigger picture and see opportunity and possibility. Another exercise is called Hierocles' Circle. This is a similar exercise but a little bit different. It's is this idea that we have concentric circles of concern, that, you know, we are at the center of a circle, and then in the next level might be our family, and the next level might be our friends, and the next level might be our neighbors and the people that, you know, we interact with at work or in town, and on and on and on, you know, going into other countries, even into, you know, other systems. The biosphere, the animal kingdom, and so on and so forth. Again, you can go all the way out to the interplanetary, the cosmological. But the idea of the Hierarchical Circle is that you start by imagining yourself, and then you imagine your, your family, and you pull that circle closer into yourself. And then your friends, and you pull that circle closer into yourself. And your neighbors, the people that you work with. The Stokes would even include people that were their rivals or enemies in this exercise. The idea being is that it's a way of seeing that we are all part of one system, that we are all part of a larger family of human beings, that we all share the same dreams, the same needs, the same wants, the same desires, and that on a fundamental level, there's far more that unites us and is the same about us than there is about what is different than us. It's a way of cultivating this sense of empathy and compassion and concern for other people. Third exercise is this idea of negative visualization. This is a big one. Um, sometimes the term negative visualization doesn't have a great kind of positive connotation, but it's the idea simply that when you truly imagine the worst things that could happen and you, you do that in a way that is somewhat objective, that you will soon realize that most of the things that you are afraid of, most of the things that are holding you back, most of the obstacles and misfortunes that you face at any given moment are not going to end your life. They are not going to be as catastrophic as you imagine them to be. And it's a way of, uh, of being able to, to stop hiding, to stop caving into fear, anxiety, and resistance, and instead to step into what's next with greater integrity and intention. The ultimate exercise is Memento Mori. You may, may be familiar with my daily practice of, of having a run at the local cemetery here in my little town. I love this moment of my day, it gives me a chance to kind of get outside and get some exercise and breathe in the fresh air and sunshine. I get the views of the mountains in the background, but also I see the headstones in the cemetery kind of against all the vistas. And it's a reminder that there's a big world out there and I'm just a small part of that. But at the same moment, I have a job to do and I have a role to play play, and that I need to remember that at the same time I'm going to end up in the ground with all these other folks, and that my time here is finite, and that since time is a valuable commodity that is not increasing but decreasing in every moment, that I should spend my time wisely, and I should spend my time not only in service to cultivating my own character and my virtue, but also in spending my time helping lift others up, helping others achieve their potential, helping others find and execute on their purpose. So that is the Memento Mori, is just this idea that you will die, that all things die, and that when you keep that close at hand and close to mind, that it can be a real motivator for making the most of what you have. Which brings us to our fourth and final exercise, which is the idea of gratitude for what you already have. And this comes most clearly for me from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. He begins his journal with a gratitude practice and cites all of the people that he is— his family, his friends, his rivals, his the people that he interacts with at court, his teachers, and he spends a moment sharing what the gifts that these people have bestowed upon him, the example that they, they provided him, the opportunity to practice equanimity, the excellence of character. And it's when we practice gratitude. It is a powerful way of bringing ourselves into the present moment, a powerful way to keep things in context, and can be a real motivator for doing more of what nourishes us and feeds us and fulfills us, and less of what depletes us and, um, and, and gets in the way. Of our flourishing. So I've gone on for almost 25 minutes. I do have to hop off for a coaching call that I have with a client at 1 o'clock, but that is my, uh, 25 minutes or so on Stoicism and how Stoicism is a philosophy of life from the Hellenistic period that can help you endeavor better. It can help you become more purposeful in the work that you do. It can help you experience greater flourishing and less stress in that work. It can help you face all of the obstacles, misfortunes, and challenges that are required when you're doing work that seeks to make things better, that seeks to change things, and seeks to make a difference. I hope that you found this helpful. I don't see any questions here, so I'm— I am going to go ahead and hop off. But again, in the comments below, there is a link to the Stoic Creative Handbook, which is a little $5 handbook that talks a lot more about how Stoic philosophy can help you rise to artistry in an endeavor that matters to you. And then there is a free handbook that you're welcome to grab. It's a 38-page handbook called Endeavor Better. It has a complete process for identifying your values, identifying your talents, identifying where you belong, and helping you decide what's next for you and helping you step into that with greater intention and integrity. Once again, I'm Scott Perry from Creative on Purpose, and it's been really fun to share all this information with you. If you're watching in replay, share a question or a comment down below. It's always great to hear from you, and you can always find more about me and what I'm up to and the, all the, the additional freebies that are available at becreativeonpurpose.com. Until I see you next time, take care. Thanks.