Stoic Path Through the storm

The elements move upward, downward, in all directions. The motion of virtue is different – deeper. It moves at a steady pace on road hard to discern, and always forward.- Marcus Aurelius

Well before I started my business I had come across the words of several Stoics that have since inspired me in unpredictable ways. Stoicism isn’t about abstract theory – it’s about how we show up in real life, especially under pressure, and our response to it. It is this pressure that provides us insight into our own courage. Courage is not the absence of fear but acting well despite it. True wisdom in action is our ability to reflect, seek truth, and respond rationally rather than emotionally.

I’ve practiced perseverance in suffering.

I have focused on what I can do and not what I cannot control. Effort is always within my control, and through this daily disciplined practice gives meaning to my life. Life is a contact exercise of will that is tested through adversity and suffering. My willingness to be present and focused on life provides true purpose and a path toward my potential.

I’ve pursued excellence amid failure.

Failure is not final and is only within the natural order of striving – daring greatly. Virtue lies in action, not outcome. Life’s setbacks reveal who we really are based upon our responses from them. Through those experiences, I can begin to adapt, pivot, and sharpen my abilities to manage them through clarity of mind even when the path isn’t obvious.

I’ve learned to master my passions and act with discipline.

To act nobly and with integrity is the reward. To hold the vision when no one else sees it. To be able to control my irrational emotions and hold myself accountable to outside influences that threaten my inner peace.

I’ve used challenges as fuel – not just to grow a business, but to grow myself.

From all of life’s setbacks, what can never be sacrificed, are the tools necessary to strengthen one’s character. It’s from those tools that I become a valuable member of society - unbreakable and undisturbed by whatever stands in my way.

My life has been a journey with destinations built upon courage. A journey not marred in failure, but in self-awareness to not wait until tomorrow for what should be done today. And to just, continue forward.