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- The Mind’s Greatest Weapon
Welcome to The Stoa Letter, the newsletter on Stoic theory and practice.
Our letter today is a guest piece from Rebecca Simmons. Rebecca is an MMA athlete and student of the Stoics with a B.A. in History and Classics. You can learn more about her here.
🏛️ Theory
No matter your intentions, life will cast you into the arena with formidable sparring partners. You will be beaten, black and blue and your mind will begin the process of protecting you by saying: “Flee. You are finished.”
A wonderful thing about our nature is that we have the ability to reprogram another action instead of a default response to our circumstances . Marcus Aurelius tells us:
While it is true that someone can impede our actions, they cannot impede our intentions and our attitudes, which have the power of being conditional and adaptable. For the mind adapts and converts any obstacle to its action into a means of achieving it. That which is an impediment to action is turned to advance action. The obstacle becomes the way.
We have the ability to convert everything that is thrown at us into fuel. From the pivotal victories, to the devastating losses, each can be an ingredient for success if only we will our mind to use them.
Every day that I train, I cannot know if it will be good or bad, but I know it will be full of growth. Because I have the ability to reflect on my results and shift my perspective, I decide the usefulness of every session. A strong purpose creates grounded perspective whatever happens.
I have control over my intentions as I step into the arena: to do my best, to utilize skills I have crafted and conquer. No matter my outcome, my intention is to become greater than yesterday; we have control over that every day.
As Marcus Aurelius reminds us:
A bright fire turns whatever you throw into it to flame and light
Therefore, like the Roman emperor and the Stoics before him, we must seek to be the resilient and all consuming fire. Alchemize every experience into knowledge, wisdom, and progress.
Amor Fati.
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🎯 Action
The next time life hands you a challenging opponent, whatever happens, keep your head up, and be thankful for the opportunity to test your skills.
Life has handed you fuel, and this is an opportunity to add it to your fire – if only you will set your intention to do so. What can you do with what you are given?
🔗 Links
🥊 Rebecca shared an exercise she finds helpful for learning the art of perception change:
Switch your viewpoint: begin to look at failures and misfortunes as opportunities.
Understand that perfection is not real. There is no perfect fire, however a spark and a bright flame both burn. The intensity and impact though of the flame depends on how much it is fueled.
The outcome may not be in your control, but your ability to utilize its consequence is.
“I have failed.” ——-> “I was brave. I stepped into the arena.”
“I am not good.” ——-> “I know where I can improve.”
“Life has beaten me.” ——> “Life is testing my alchemy.”
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