Weekly Quote: Seneca on Finding Courage Through Hardship

This week's quote from Seneca is included as part of the chapter on adversity in The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth.

Ward has written an excellent book on Stoicism that I have quoted multiple times. I read this book slowly for the first time, taking lots of notes and highlights for future reference, and I am already rereading chapters and passages that can help me make sense of something happening.

It's been a challenging year, although none of what's happened is particularly remarkable or unique to my family, and it's all been manageable despite being exhausting and occasionally overwhelming. I know everyone goes through tough times, and I've been trying to learn from these experiences. Here are a few things that I'm figuring out that might help you too:

I Cannot Control Every Situation

I'm getting better at understanding more quickly when a situation is beyond my control. One of our children, who is now fully recovered, got sick and ended up in the hospital for a few days. I couldn't fix that. I could only be a participant in a bigger plan for recovery and stability for the entire family.

I Can be More Patient

I think I am a pretty patient person, and I am working on getting more tuned in to what it means to be a patient son, father, and husband. Different roles in my life need other things from me. Patience is universal, but there are nuances that I'm picking up on.

Creating Through Adversity Shuts the Resistance Down

I believe that adversity can spark creativity. Unfortunately, I've had very little time to create or write over the last several weeks, but the ideas are still coming and are meaningful to me. I've been feeling The Resistance a lot recently. Its presence encourages me that I am on the right path. I'm not giving up. I'm doubling down.

Building Courage is Worth Doing

I'm building my courage through practice. Living a rich life means that adversity will happen, and while it can be difficult, I feel more prepared to face what is next because of what I have already gone through.

How I Face Hardship Matters

Whether it's at work or home, someone is watching. I may struggle with a situation, but I can strive to have a measured and thoughtful response when it all goes wrong, or something scary happens. Essentially, the definition of being courageous.

Recognizing my Good Fortune Builds Endurance

I am deeply fortunate to have a healthy and happy family. We are coming closer because of these experiences, which is another gift of endurance I will gladly take as part of this journey.