Who Am I . . . REALLY? Part I

What kind of a question is that, you ask? It's a very simple, focused, important question for each of us to not only ask, but to do some hard, analytical, introspective mining for the answer. The reasons most people never get to know who they really are, are several. But, to mention only a few, first, it's hard work (and we are always looking for ways to avoid hard work); second, most of us are way to superficial to truly dig beyond the surface; third, most likely, we're not going to like what we find; fourth, if we actually do dig past that superficial defensive surface and find out who is really under it, not only will we possibly not like what we find, but we won't know what to do with this knowledge.

I always fall back on one of my favorite authors, M. Scott Peck, when it comes to subjects like this. Certainly, we can also look to Fromm and Freud and on a more contemporary basis, Wayne Dyer, Dr Phil McGraw and Eckhart Tolle. They may all crossover in some of their theories and explanations, but each has his own approach to this idea of learning who one really is. We've heard people say, and you may have said it yourself on one or more occasions when you needed to figure out why something painful is going on in your life, "I need time (or space) to find myself."

Unfortunately, most people never do find themselves because reality and truth are usually painful. As children, we typically grew up in a protected environment where there was one or more adults, in the roles of parents or grandparents, who did their best to shield us from painful truth and reality. Some and, perhaps, most people never fully develop beyond that childhood level when they become adults. Now, as adults, the painful realities and truths are shielded by "defense mechanisms" like "passing the buck." Our parents passed this "shielding" on to us as their parents did to them and we, typically, will to our offspring. A marriage failed because it was his/her fault. A job was lost because the boss didn't like me or I was discriminated against, harassed or required to do jobs that I didn't feel were my responsibility. Friendships are end because he or she or this group of people changed or brought someone new into the circle or whatever other reasons (excuses) a person can conjure up.

Here Is A Reality and Fact . . .

You are a totally unique creation. Now, please, don't take this down a religious creationism or Darwinian evolutionary path. I'm not going to debate anyone on his or her personal belief systems. They are yours and I support your right to believe whatever you choose to believe and I'm not going to attempt to convert you one way or the other. It is scientific fact, no matter how humans came to inhabit this planet (along with every other species of animal and plant life), we are the sum total (in the case of humans) of 23 pairs of chromosomes made up of thousands of variations of genetic material from genomes we still don't have a complete understanding of. Setting aside the thousands of genetic possibilities, the 23 pairs of chromosomes allow for the possibility of literally trillions of combinations. The likelihood of there ever being any two humans exactly the same is beyond comprehension. Even identical twins, triplets and other multiple birth siblings are different from one another.

But, this scientific aspect of humanness is mainly about the physical attributes of each person. This includes the gender, race, hair color, whether one will lose one's hair or keep it throughout his or her lifetime, eye color, nose, ears, skeletal and muscular structure, size one will grow to in stature, foot size, hand size, the size of one's brain, the acuity of one's brain and so on. It, in my opinion, also determines our talents, gifts and abilities. In other words, some people will excel athletically. Someone else will excel in music, painting, sculpting, architecture, writing, etc. That's not to say that someone who is athletic may not be artistically or creatively inclined or vice-versa. It simply means that some will lean more in one direction rather than another by some predisposition involving the chromosomes and the genes. While in other cases one simply does not physically have what is required to be a modern day "gladiator" (athlete) while some with athletic prowess may not be able to carry a tune in a bucket or draw a straight line with a T-square. But, these are the observable parts of humans. We can visually see someone's beautiful "baby blues," naturally wavy, blonde hair, very long legs, strong upper musculature and so on. We may be a 90-pound weakling like in the old Charles Atlas magazine ads and believe we can transform ourselves into Arnold Schwarzenegger "body doubles" - but don't count on it.

This isn't the important part of "finding yourself." Unfortunately, this is as far as many people ever go. They create their persona and self-identity by how they think they appear to others and how they want to believe others perceive them. That's why we have such a thriving fashion industry, cosmetic industry, jewelry industry, plastic surgery industry, body shaping gym industry, etc. We spend, literally hundreds of billions of dollars on either trying to make ourselves into something we're not, look like something we're not and then keep what we had when we were young and defy the reality and absolute process of aging. We can't and don't want to accept the reality of who we actually are as human beings. In some cases, I'd call it "trying to play God" or maybe defy nature.

Is this bad? The answer to that is way above my pay grade. As someone who espouses a philosophy of "living free" and being controlled in the least number of ways possible, I tend to view most of this, other than good commonsense, as folly and, again, attempting to play God. Keeping one's self in good health and good physical condition to enjoy a full, fulfilling and happy life for as long as our unique, individually designed and created body will do so is the positive approach to living free. However, living with a medicine cabinet full of chemicals and utilizing mechanical and electrical devices to keep all of our pieces and parts working, even long after they've worn out and we are confined to an assisted living facility or a nursing home for years, is no longer, in my opinion, living free.

It amazes me to park on the QVC or HSN shopping channels periodically just to watch and listen to what I consider human folly. There's the Ah Bra and the Genie Bra, the Dr. Perricone's or some other person's "anti-aging" products, or the amazing tops or bottoms in colors that sound more like a super market produce and meat section. The list is endless as is the, never ceasing for a breath, pitching of these myriad products that I count as frivolous. But, all of this plays to the vanity and superficial self-identities that humans live with. It blows my mind to see 25 cents worth of one ounce of some cream in a $1.00 bottle and a $5.00 package with a list price of $225.00 dollars, but selling today as "Today's Special Value" for only $89.95 plus $7.95 shipping and handling and available in six flex payments of $15.00 each over six months (for a one month supply). And then they show the numbers of units being ordered. Yikes! A quarter million to a half million bucks of sales in an hour or two. I guess that's how some people are "finding themselves" . . . or is it "hiding themselves?"

Now, if it sounded like that was slanted more toward the female of the species, it was because that's who is most susceptible to these kinds of products in today's electronic marketing world. It all started with the Ronco Veg-O-matic from the father and son Popeil team in the mid-60's. "It slices! It dices!" The age of saturation television advertising (infomercials, if you will) was launched and now the shopping networks are simply 24/7 infomercials. "But, wait! Order now and we'll send you another _________ absolutely FREE, just pay separate shipping and handling." But, let me not be sexist. The male of the species is just as susceptible to the right offers. Perhaps, he's not drawn to QVC or HSN, but they capture his eyeballs (and credit card) on the myriad sports programs and networks with offers that appeal to the macho man. Let's not forget Mr. Ray's Hair Weave for balding men in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area back in the 80's or Rogaine, a weak version of Minoxidil, a high blood pressure medication that helps prevent hair loss and stimulates hair regrowth in some instances. I often wondered if you used your hands to rub Rogaine into your head to make hair grow, would it grow hair on the palms of your hands? And, then there is Viagra and Cialis. Men are buying into cosmetics and hair coloring, too. And when you see those Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley ads for the Total Gym, whom do you think Chuck's talking to about 6-pack abs?

The Point . . . Life is Superficial as Most People Know It!

The point is this. All of this is superficial. I don't believe that 100, 1,000 or 5,000 years ago our world was as complicated or as superficial as it has become over the past century or so. Men were men. Women were women. They each enjoyed certain small luxuries. The elite or aristocratic numbers were quite small and typically, they were the few who could afford the relatively few luxury items that were available during their various times in history.

Along with all the advances in our world have come a plethora of choices in lifestyles, luxuries, amenities and just downright indulgences. We, in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, and the developed cities in Australia, New Zealand and some other developed nations have adopted superficiality as a way of life. When the question "Who am I . . . REALLY?" is bandied about, few people ever reach the point of truly seeking truth and reality beyond this level of superficiality.

Reverting back to M. Scott Peck in his book, The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, he asks a question and presents a three-part answer. The question is, "What does a life of total dedication to truth mean?" His three-part answer is:

"It means, first of all, a life of continuous and never ending stringent self-examination." That would be soul-searching or finding one's self.

The second part of the answer is:  "A life of total dedication to the truth also means a life of willingness to be personally challenged." In other words, facing the painful truths and realities about ourselves that we keep putting off, making believe they don't exist. What we don't know can't hurt (cause pain) us.

"The third thing that a life of total dedication to the truth means, therefore, is a life of total honesty. It means a continuous and never ending process of self-monitoring to assure that our communications - not only the words that we say but also the way we say them - invariably reflect as accurately as humanly possible the truth or reality as we know it."

In essence, what this is saying is when you do the searching and find yourself, "You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free." That's John 8:32 from the Bible. I'm not preaching to you. Though as a teenager I believed I had a calling to the Baptist ministry. But, that was then and this is now. I'm a long, long way from being a Baptist preacher or any other kind of organized religious preacher. I simply used that to illustrate how this concept of knowing ourselves is not part of some new psychobabble or new age philosophy. It is simply truth in a pure sense. This is where the Greek philosophers minds were ever exploring, the great frontier of truth and reality in the human experience.

Well, that is enough for part one of this article about who we REALLY are. I'll conclude my thinking about "Who Am I . . . REALLY?" Part II in my next post. 

Catch-22 of Living Free

I live by a philosophy I term as "Living Free." I'm, by no stretch of the imagination, the originator of this concept or philosophy and certainly don't profess to be. I've simply adopted the two words from the English language as my simple descriptor of the philosophy I espouse.

Truth be known, my friend, John Applegath, author of the early 1980's book, Working Free, was a major inspiration for my personal "conversion." John's book dealt primarily with the part of our lives we call "work" or profession, vocation, occupation and job. It described how one didn't have to conform to the obsolete, but still in use, Industrial Age model for work in order to be a productive, self-supporting and fiscally responsible individual. My philosophy differs in that I deal with all facets of my life and anyone else who desires to remove themselves from the mainstream and live with the least number of restrictions, limitations, regulations, rules and laws that have definitive and direct impact on how we choose to live our lives.

Living Free

To truly live free, one must step back, conduct a thorough examination of their past and present life and project how they want to live their future life from a stated point in time forward. In two places in this blog I have outlined a "12 Steps forLiving Free" plan and, a quick-start, "3 Simple Steps for Living Freer - Immediately" plan as an initial launching pad. These two plans take each person, who chooses to make a change in their life plan to live freer, through a series of steps.

I don't suggest that this is an easy program to undertake. After all, if you choose to get a college degree in most liberal arts or standard disciplines in science, engineering, education, etc. you need to be prepared to invest at least four years in a good and, very likely, expensive institution. If you choose to enter more specialized fields like medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary science, ordained religious careers, psychology and similar fields, you can double or nearly double your time and financial investment.

So, why then, when you're considering reinventing your entire life should it be a simple, overnight change. It's not! The fact is that anyone making the decision to change his or her life and adopt a "Living Free" lifestyle must overcome a lifetime of indoctrination, education, conditioning, habitual living, misinformation and restrictions, limitations, regulations, rules and laws that have led you to precisely where you are at the moment of decision. In other words, you are making a decision to break with everything that has been your life and controlled your life to the present time.

That is precisely why I broke the program down into a 12 step process. It's like eating the proverbial elephant. You can't swallow it whole, but you can swallow it one bite at a time. You don't go for any kind of in depth education or certification program, involving a detailed course of study, to move you from limited or no knowledge to a point where you have become qualified to do whatever it is you started out to achieve. Actually, it doesn't matter at what age you begin the process of "Living Free," plan on the process taking the rest of your life because our society changes rapidly and you'll have to continue learning and adapting.

You'll also notice that the cost may not be an investment in tuition as it would be for a college education, masters degree or doctorate. More realistically, your investment will be in letting go of "stuff" that's taken over your life and consumes you. You will have to eliminate some toxic relationships that drain you of your precious time, energy, resources and peace of mind. And, you may select and choose to change your method of earning income to something that may be less financially lucrative, however, it may provide you with great joy, psychic rewards and peace of mind, not to mention freeing up more precious time and resources.

The Catch-22

Here it is. It's the Catch-22 that impacts virtually everyone to some degree or another. A Catch-22 is a solution that is denied by the very problem you're dealing with or by some kind of rule (or possibly a law). It can also be an illogical, unreasonable or senseless situation. It could also be a hidden difficulty or means of entrapment. In other words, there may be what appears to be (and may actually be) insurmountable obstacles to you achieving your living free philosophy and lifestyle as you have defined it for your ideal life.

Let's look at a few examples. It would seem that someone who doesn't have a fixed residence should be able to use a U.S. Post Office box for an address. However, you can't! The U.S. Post Office requires a street address in order to rent a post office box. You must have a place where some governmental agency can put their finger on you at any given moment in time at their discretion. Therefore, those individuals who are homeless, either by choice or by circumstance can't legally use a U.S. Post Office box. This includes, but isn't limited to, homeless folks who live on the streets, full-time RVers and Vandwellers. Additionally, nomadic individuals who choose to explore their country and the world and others who may have occupations that require them to move regularly like over the road truck drivers and traveling nurses, musicians and artists of various kinds fall into this situation. So, this requires creative thinking on your part.

Here are other examples. Most banks won't open accounts for you and insurance companies won't sell you policies if you don't have a street address. You will have a difficult time applying for a credit card. You will very likely not be able to borrow any money, like for a car, van or RV. If your occupation requires some kind of licensing, you'll most likely not be able to apply for and be issued the license without a fixed residential address, despite the fact that you're fully qualified. This can play havoc on you if you are an over the road truck driver or traveling nurse. Actually, you won't be able to get a regular drivers license, either.

Here is another thing that really throws a kink into choosing to live free on your own terms. According to the new healthcare law, you MUST buy healthcare insurance and if you choose not to you'll pay a penalty (oops, sorry it's a penalty that will be handled as a tax) to the government. Of course, if you don't have health insurance, by choice or especially if you can't afford it, you're in big trouble. If you need to see a doctor or go to the emergency room, you get to pay the FULL FARE while those with insurance and their insurance company (or Medicare/Medicaid) pay deeply discounted rates for the same services.

The examples go on and on. Now, understand, many, if not most, of the Catch-22 situations you'll run into (and the list is long) apply just as much to those who choose to have a fixed residential address where they reside all or most of the time.

It's All About Conforming

You see, you can live as free as you choose to live as long as you consider living free to be subject to constant surveillance, conforming to ALL the rules, regulations, laws, restrictions, limitations, etc. that the population is required to adhere to. It's not necessarily because they want to, but because they've been conditioned to comply.

There is a gray area that separates privileges and rights. Most people have a hard time distinguishing the difference. Additionally, we are conditioned to play by the rules that someone else makes for us to comply with. These would be our elected representatives who supposedly are acting in our best interest. But, as individuals, don't we have the right under the concept of "inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to determine what's in our own best interests? Maybe back in 1776, but not in 2013. Everybody knows what's better for you, even your next door neighbor who will complain to the "authorities" if he or she doesn't like the way you maintain your home, paint your house, grow your lawn and landscape your house. There are even instances where WWII veterans have been brought before the authorities for putting up a flag pole in their own front yard so they could proudly and patriotically display the flag they fought for and saw many of their friends die for.

You supposedly have the right to free speech, to assemble peacefully and to worship or not worship whatever God or deity you choose. On the other hand, driving an automobile on a public street is a privilege not a right. Since that street is paid for and maintained by the common funds and for the common convenience of the public at large, you must qualify to use those streets by taking a test and demonstrating that you can operate safely and be aware of everyone else's privilege to use those public roads.

The Catch-22 creeps up as your rights are being eroded by hundreds of thousands of laws and regulations that are passed by your elected representatives. These are the people who determine that it's okay for you to serve your country and even sacrifice your life for those representatives, however, it's not alright for you to display your patriotism because they believe a flag pole is an unsightly intrusion in their lives. But, everything will be just fine if you simply conform and live your life the way the rest of the population have been conditioned and agree to live their lives.

It reminds me of the old Star Trek, Next Generation series (and other Star Trek iterations) where a species called the "Borg" had a mission of assimilating by force all the species of the universe into their collective to become drones of the hive. Of course, this is science fiction, but how often do we find some threads of truth and projections of society in these works of science fiction. Alternatively, we hear the term "lemmings" used along with a newer term, "sheeple."

The Catch-22 of Living Free

So, here it is in a nutshell. You are as free as you want to be as long as you agree to conform or be assimilated. As the Borg would say, "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."  Or we could modify that to say, "We are the government. Conform and surrender your lives. We will add your lives to the conformity of the society that we control. Resistance is futile."

I am not a right-wing radical and I'm not promoting any conspiracy theory. I don't have to. We are already living this scenario in our current lives. But, just as in the Star Trek series, where there were species who fought back to retain their personal identities, individuality and human rights, there is a small segment of the seven billion+ humans on this planet who are still willing to pursue their individuality and personal freedom. Our continuing challenge will be to find ways to counter the continual barrage of Catch-22 issues that we'll confront.

There will never be a way to achieve total freedom. As a species, we are interdependent on one another and that's a good thing. But, as every new law, regulation and rule places more and more limitations and restrictions on each of us in our ability express our individuality and enjoy personal freedom, we'll have to find more ways to counter the Hive and the Borg Queen. And this brings up thoughts of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. But, that's a topic for another time.

Wednesday Musing - Anthropologically Speaking ...

Now, there is a 50 cent word and a fairly esoteric subject for a blog on living free, wouldn't you agree?

So, what's my point? Well, another year is winding down as we have entered December and what has become known as the "holiday season." This follows our annual Thanksgiving holiday that was preceded by, yet, another contentious and relatively negative general election that has left our citizens as divided as they were before the election. Add to this the ongoing sagas of economic crisis, war, starving people, increasing prices, well, you get the picture.

One bright spot at this particular time is that energy prices have been declining and gasoline may actually drop below $3.00/gallon again. Everyone gets excited when they think that gas will be less than $3.00 a gallon and rightly so. Actually, I remember paying for gas as low as $.20 per gallon in 1970 (in 1970 dollars). In fact, when you adjust gas prices for inflation (current real dollars), it cost $3.57 in 2011, $3.35 in 1919, $2.50 in 1931, but the lowest gas of all times was in 1999 when it was $1.44. So, in reality, except for a couple dips and a couple spikes, gas has actually remained very constant for the better part of the last hundred years. So, with gas looking like it's going to be less than $3.00 a gallon, we have a reason to be a little giddy.

Reflections

I have been reflecting on many issues (and there are probably 20 or 30 more I could rattle off, but the number of issues isn't the point here). The point is that after living more than 6.5 decades on this planet and, more specifically, in the U.S. it has dawned on me that I have developed an intensifying interest in history and anthropology. In deed, if I were granted a "do over" of my life, I think I'd want to become an anthropologist. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an anthropologist is someone who studies the science of human beings; especially : the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture.

Whoa, Nellie! Where did that come from? Actually, it's quite simple. I've, more or less, been a student of people all my life. My interests were disguised, even from myself, under the various guises of my early (teenage) interest in becoming a Baptist minister, my higher education as an educator, my graduate education in the field of television and radio and my life long career as an entrepreneur/businessman/sales & marketing person. I can honestly reflect back to my days as a 12 year old independent newspaper delivery boy with more than 100 customers I served daily, each very different and individual. I've observed people through my own personal relationships including my marriages, long-term and short-term romantic, familial and platonic relationships.

One could, perhaps, suggest that I'm delving into the human experience a little too deeply. I would agree that for most people, this would be pretty deep. But, as I observe the human species and the similarities and differences between cultures, generations and the genders, I'm more and more fascinated. I've reflected on how I have followed, what is probably considered pre-determined standards or norms of behavior established over millennia. Some of these behaviors are based on the most basic and primal animal instincts like survival, fight or flight, adapting to our surroundings/environment and procreation. While others are of human origin such as societal conditioning or nurturing. I would suggest that the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child," is indicative of this.

There is little question, at least in my mind, that religion has probably been the most powerful force in societal conditioning. Even before humans began becoming "civilized" they were in awe of natural events that were beyond their ability to comprehend. As the small, nomadic hunting and gathering bands began to create larger groups or tribes, civilizations began forming. Religions began to appear and identifying deities to explain all of the natural events and human traits. Eventually, as civilizations developed, religions evolved and the major religions determined that there was a single, omnipotent deity that created and controlled the heavens and the Earth. This made it easier to relate to the masses and to create "laws" or "codes" to live by, such as The Ten Commandments in the Jewish religion. The Ten Commandments carried over to Christianity and, while not spelled out, are basically embraced in the religion of Islam.

Why Anthropology and Why Me?

Okay, so all this is pretty much text book stuff. So, why my interest in anthropology? Because, as I've been simplifying my own life, to a very large degree, I've been reflecting on where I began and where I've ended up. I realize that, for me, all the material aspects of life, the organized religious of life, the success (work hard) aspects of life, the entertainment aspects of life and so on were never really fulfilling for me. Now, believe me, it's way above my "pay grade" to pass judgment on how anyone else chooses to live their lives. But, observing how others live, why they choose to live that way and how happy and fulfilled they are or are not, all based on the anthropological changes in human society and culture, is truly interesting to me.

While I have never been counted among the super rich or even the rich, I've lived a good and very comfortable life for the most part. I've enjoyed being able to dress well, always be well-nourished, live in comfortable, middle-class homes, drive a variety of vehicles (too many) including quite a few luxury cars, travel to some other parts of the world and stay in some of the finest travel accommodations. I've enjoyed my share of toys, too. Simply stated, I probably number in the small percentage of people in the world that the huge majority would love to experience what I have experienced. And believe me, I'm grateful.

But, one day, several years ago, as I was beginning to realize that I had passed the halfway mark, or, probably, more realistically, the two-thirds mark of my lifespan, I still hadn't experienced true happiness, real fulfillment and the ultimate freedom to find it. It was probably a combination of things that brought me to this realization. Some may term it wisdom. Perhaps, that is what wisdom is all about. I would see people in the local Costco Warehouse club walking out the door with massive cart loads of "stuff." I saw the same thing at the various department stores. I would see people with watches that cost $5,000 to $10,000 and probably more. I would see huge houses (affectionately referred to as McMansions) growing up in sub-divisions all over the U.S. where once upon a time, modest homes would have been built. There were multiple, expensive cars in the driveways including huge SUV's, luxury cars, expensive motorcycles and so on.

Now, if these were folks who had worked long and hard at careers to reach a point where they could afford all this, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But, these were young people with young families. Needless to say, when the financial crisis that crashed down on us about five years ago began, these were the people in most jeopardy of losing it all. Ultimately, many of them did and many of those who have hung on are barely squeaking by.

Can I Live Without This?

A few years before the financial crisis, while I was witnessing this feeding frenzy for stuff, I came to a conclusion that I could no longer participate in this, in my opinion, self-indulgent, self-destructive game. So, when I went to Costco or just about anyplace else, I began asking myself the simple question, "Can I live without this (whatever it was)?" Of course I wanted lots of the stuff I saw on TV, in Costco, on Amazon, Buy.com, the professional audio catalogs, Kohl's Department Store, etc. But, I was already feeling claustrophobic at the ranch I lived on in the Shenandoah Valley. I had more clothes then I needed. I had far more shoes than I actually wore. I had kitchen appliances I seldom, if ever, used. I had two large TV sets (I was single, living alone). I had a surround sound system I seldom listened to. Additionally, I had another professional studio monitoring surround sound system that I never even set up. I had two vehicles, one of which I seldom ever drove. (Twice in my life, as a single person, I had owned three and four vehicles at the same time and all the expenses attached to them).

So that simple question, "Can I live without this?" became my shopping mantra. That was a huge positive turning point for me. But, I was now becoming more and more aware of the society and culture around me. I began seeing how, we, as Americans, were having an impact on the rest of the world and how that world was now beginning to view America differently. I looked at businesses, relationships, reality TV shows, brick and mortar retail marketing, emerging on-line marketing, TV infomercials, the TV home shopping networks, credit and the various forms it takes, marketing of high-end items like cars, homes, jewelry, even religion and the list goes on and on. What I saw was an overindulgent society that had moved far beyond the point of fulfilling the needs of living comfortably to the insatiable appetite to acquire just about every "want" that came up spontaneously. Most of this stuff is nice, but it's also mostly not necessary to live a comfortable, happy and fulfilled life.

Avoid Pain or Gain Pleasure

Many years ago, in my early years of learning and striving for success, I did my best to motivate other people to want "success" and show them how to achieve it. Of course, I learned that you can't motivate anyone to do anything they don't want to do. I learned that there are only two things that motivate anyone to do anything. The first motivator is to avoid pain. The second motivator is to gain pleasure. Whatever you can name, ultimately, at its most basic core issue, will fall under one of those two primary motivators. Avoiding pain used to be the stronger of the two motivators. Unfortunately, I believe those motivators have reversed position over the past decade or so. Now, it's gain the pleasure and don't worry about paying the piper or we'll deal with the pain when it comes along. Thus, our huge slide into over-indulgence.

Overindulgence isn't new. You'll find it in the Old Testament. You'll see it in the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Chinese empires and other civilizations and societies. There are always those who will gain power, wealth, be greedy and overindulgent, most often at the expense of those less fortunate. In the U.S., supposedly a classless society, we have actually created more classes. We have the Super Rich, Rich, Criminally Rich, Upper Middle Class (not quite Rich, but act like they are), Middle Class, Blue-Collar Middle Class, Entitled (those living off the taxpayers, faith-based organizations and everybody else they can) and Poor. But, the only group out of that list who aren't overindulgent are the Poor. They fight, scratch, beg and do whatever they have to do to simply survive on the most basic and primitive (for the U.S.) level.

Electronic Snake Oil Salesmen and Saleswomen

Every once in a while I will sit and watch one or the other of the two major cable-TV home shopping networks, QVC or HSN. I find it amazing to watch these (mostly) women (since 75% to 80% of their audiences are women) go on for an hour at a time pitching anti-wrinkle creams, every kind of imaginable make-up, each better than the next (except they are all better than each other), perfumes, all kinds of jewelry and baubles and faux diamonds, the Ah Bra and  clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes. And, of course, every clothing designer is amazing, the most gifted, etc., etc.

We can't forget the cookware, kitchen gadgets and the most amazing LED/LCD/3D, huge, flat screen TV's known on the planet - surpassing even NASA technology. And, of course, we usually get one of the guys selling the computers or other electronics. They go on and on and on. If you hear the amazing features and benefits explained once, you hear them described 30 different ways. It dawned on me one day, that this is the replacement for the traveling snake oil salesman. You have their money in your pocket and they will do whatever they have to do to get that money in their pockets.

Anthropology and Marketing

Anthropologically speaking, I wonder if women realize that make-up wasn't worn by proper or virtuous women throughout most of history. It was the realm of the prostitute and the courtesan who wore make-up and lipstick to attract "customers" for their services or to keep the aristocracy or monarch "entertained." Lipstick has some especially significant meaning, anthropologically. One reference is Desmond Morris's The Naked Ape. Please, ladies, I'm not calling anyone in our modern culture a prostitute. I'm simply explaining how all this make-up came to be. In actuality, most make-up didn't become widely used until the 20th Century and lipstick didn't take its more utilitarian form until around the mid-1920's. Even into the 1950's it was considered improper for teenage girls to wear lipstick so they wouldn't be considered "loose" young women.

Men, of course, have also worn make-up, including some lip coloration and powdered wigs. And, once again, more men are beginning to wear make-up and hair coloring to retain their youthful attractiveness. Both men and women are wearing modern girdles only they are made of spandex and they're called body shapers. The problem as I see it is that when the mature woman takes off her Ahh Bra or push-up bra and the guy takes off his body shaper - reality sets in, her boobs drop and his stomach falls out. The solution is simple, be sure to buy special lighting and special mirrors for the bedroom that help mask reality with shadows and whatever you do, don't go to a motel or hotel. It's the wrong lighting.

Yes, I'm making fun of humanity. Hey, I'm one of humanity. I don't wear a male body shaper and I don't care what kind of bra a woman wears. I live in the real world, not one of smoke and mirrors. I'm attracted to a woman because of WHO she is, not because of how perfect her body appears to be. I hope a woman who is attracted to me is similarly attracted to WHO I am. Again, much of the use of body shapers, make-up, "sexy" clothing and an obsession with looking 25 when you're 65 is what keeps the department stores, TV shopping networks, infomercials, men's and women's glamour magazines, etc. in business. This is where my growing interest in anthropology is founded.

Were relationships always as shallow as they are today? Did men and women cheat more or less in the past and why or why not? How did historically oppressive religious doctrine impact our modern culture (we can read about it in the Old and New Testaments and we can observe it in certain aspects Judaism, Christianity and Muslim culture). How did the drive for power, success, wealth (greed) and status develop to the point it has reached in the U.S. culture today? How are they manifest in the variety of cultures that came to the U.S. melting pot? My questions are endless. My universe to observe is huge. Where is that darn time machine, anyway?  

Three Simple Steps for Living Freer - Immediately!

TOO MUCH STUFF - Time to Downsize!

Living Free or at least living freer seems to be catching on as a lifestyle trend. I hear more people talking about the idea. I see people taking a variety of steps toward gaining or regaining the personal freedom they want for themselves and their families. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that living free is my mantra. As the photo illustrates we all live in a very complicated society with too much "stuff" that costs us too much money to buy, maintain, store and insure. There are so many facets of daily life to attend to, cope with and keep up with and they all breed stress, anxiety and, often, depression. To live freer we have to take some positive action.

I've outlined a 12 Step program for Living Free in this blog and you can click on the link to review the 12 Steps if you choose to. You can also find each of the steps described in greater details in subsequent posts. But, let's face it. Like with many things in our life, we are very often in denial. It's one of those "can't see the forest for the trees" kind of things. In other words, we are so wrapped up in the details and minutia of daily life that we may be missing the important and most meaningful things life has to offer.

I also know that how I define living free and my lifestyle choices may not relate to your definition and choices. Each individual is going to have very different ideas about their own life. That is as it should be. Biting off a 12 step program or plan may also sound very ponderous. Heck! Life is already too complicated. Who needs to attempt taking on a 12 step plan that can involve a multitude of choices and changes to implement?

K.I.S.S. and the 3 Steps

So, let's apply the K.I.S.S. principle to making your life freer. The objective is to feel and live freer then you are currently. The result of living freer should be more harmony and happiness. So, to Keep It Simple Sam or Sally. Let's create a simple, effective, 3 step plan to get started down the road to living free.

The three steps are:

1. Simplifying

2. Downsizing

3. Economizing

Here is the hypothesis. If you can simplify your life by reducing the number of details and minutia, downsize by eliminating some thing or some things that require time, energy or resources for minimal useful or psychic return and become more frugal by cutting out expenditures that have a negative return or, at best, a minimal return for the money spent, then you should begin realizing a freer life and lifestyle. Does that make sense?

1. Simplify

Once again, even these three steps can look daunting if you attempt to eat the entire elephant in one sitting that your life may resemble. The most effective way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time and that's the way you should approach making the choices and changes to achieve a living freer lifestyle. Look at it this way. If you can eliminate one daily or weekly function in your overly busy life and that frees up one hour per week, that's 52 hours a year that you can now rededicate to something more meaningful or productive or relaxing and probably all three.

2. Downsize

Can you think of a single thing in you life or in your home that takes up space and/or time to store or maintain? Perhaps it's a closet full of old board games or even obsolete electronic games that have been replaced by something newer. I have absolutely no doubt that this is at least (and most likely many, but just start with one) one thing that you can do without. If that space was vacated it could be reassigned to something more relevant or, better yet, it might multiply into greater downsizing in the future.

3. Economize

One of the biggest challenges most everyone faces in our contemporary society is financial issues. You don't have to listen to the news or the cable news analysts or read the papers or most serious periodicals where finances are not a significant issue for so many people. And, this isn't just a U.S. domestic issue. It's global. The exciting thing is there are so many ways to become more frugal without denying yourself of a very nice lifestyle. In fact, by becoming more frugal, you're going to find the resources to live better and freer. It's like getting a tax free pay raise.

Suppose you can economize by saving $50 per week on various things that may not really be as important as you thought they were or they are recurring expenses that have outlived your interest or their usefulness. That results in $2,600.00 in tax free found money per year. Will that make your life better and freer? Will you and your family or significant other (if you have them) happier? That found money can do a lot of things for you.

No Rocket Science Required

So, are you with me on this? I know that this sounds simplistic, perhaps, overly simplistic. But, I said we were going to apply the K.I.S.S. principle, so the operative word is simple. Unfortunately, it's often the simple things that are overrun by the complex details of life. I also can't tell you precisely what you should simplify, downsize and economize. I don't know your life. And, let's make this perfectly clear. This is not rocket science or brain surgery.

21 Days and $24,000.00 Tax Free

In 1982, I was attending a friend and client's seminar on closing sales. Now, I make it a point, anytime I attend any function, especially an educational function, to gain something from it. One nugget of information or an idea can positively change a person's life. At the seminar, my friend, Dave, discussed a book I had read years before this particular function. The book was Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. In the book Dr. Maltz said that it takes 21 days to make or break any habit, good or bad. As I said, I was already familiar with this concept, but I decided that was going to be my takeaway from this particular function. I thought about it and finally decided I was going to stop drinking coffee. I didn't have a problem with coffee and I liked coffee. But, I realized that it was a habitual aspect of my life, as it is for the vast majority of adults.

That day in 1982 was the last day I drank a cup of coffee. It's 30 years later. I still like coffee and I can drink it any time I choose to. But, it is now a habit to NOT drink coffee. I like it, but I didn't and still don't need it. I can't tell you how much money not drinking coffee has saved me over the years, but I dare say it's well into the range of several thousand dollars. Just one cup of some kind of premium coffee each day, seven days a week at an average of $3.00/cup is a savings of $1,095.00 per year.

One Target, But A Triple Score

So, let's examine this. First, this one choice has simplified my life. I don't have to plan stops at any of the variety of places that sell such premium coffees. At one stop per day at about 10 minutes per stop, that's nearly 61 hours per year that I've gained and made my life simpler. Second, I don't have a car full of empty coffee cups and I don't have a coffee maker to take up space, clean and maintain. That is one less thing to complicate my life - by downsizing an appliance and accessories I don't require. Third, I've already economized by nearly $1,100.00, but add to that the savings from not buying coffee grounds and other fixings for making my own coffee. That's probably an additional savings of probably more than $300.00/year. So, one lifestyle choice has simplified my life, downsized my "stuff" and given me about a $1,400.00 to $1,500.00 tax free raise each year. Average it out over the years to $800.00 to allow for inflation since 1982 and I've realized about $24,000.00 of simplified life. Not bad, huh?

And, of course, I can (and have) done this with other facets of my life. They are all personal choices for MY lifestyle and may not relate to your choices or lifestyle. The other significant thing to illustrate the K.I.S.S. principle is that I only chose one facet of my lifestyle and it positively impacted the three steps I'm suggesting you consider for starting to live freer.

K.I.S.S. - A Reprise

Here's another thing to include in this equation. Whatever facets of your life you choose as your first stabs at simplifying, downsizing and economizing don't have to be major things. Going back to the elephant illustration, choose small things initially. Believe me, when you take a look at your week, you're going to be saying "boy, if I didn't have to do this my life would be simpler. If I could just get rid of this thing I never use or wear any longer I'd have more space and feel less cramped. If I cut back on this expenditure a little each week or walked to the park or gym instead of driving and using $3.50 to $4.00 per gallon gas or ate out one less meal this week, you'll never notice the loss of whatever it may be. However, you'll sure begin to realize the positive benefits and improvement to your life. You'll realize that you're just a little freer then you were. And that, my friend, is the whole point. How can you life freer and happier.

Remember what I said about habits taking 21 days to make or break? Once you get in the habit of finding ways to simplify, downsize and economize, you'll have developed a positive habit that will serve you for the rest of your life. You may adopt a question I always ask myself when I see things that catch my eye. "Can I live without this?" By learning how to say yes to that question most of the time, you'll have more time, need less space (reduce your carbon footprint, too) and have more money to save, go on vacation, educate yourself and family with and anything else that will fit into your living free lifestyle. The big result is that you're going to be freer and happier and, heck, isn't that the real bottom line, anyway?

Off On Another Revenue Generating Trip!

This is a short post, today. I'm preparing to leave momentarily for the Windy City on another of my Living Free Revenue Generating junkets. I'll be on the road about a week - about 3-4 will actually involve "work."

But, I thought I'd pass this along. I read a number of blogs from others who provide good information and inspire me. The other day I received this from Marelisa Fabrega from you blog Dare to Live Fully.

The title of her post is "99 Powerful Questions to Ask to Turbo Charge Your Life." These are thought provoking questions and definitely worth the time to read over and find the ones you NEED to ask yourself if you're looking to live free or freer and happier. Here's the link - http://daringtolivefully.com/99-powerful-questions

I hope you have some powerful answers to these questions that will propel you forward toward whatever you are seeking in life. 

21st Century Stoicism

I find it interesting how someone, like my friend, Richard Rosen, can send me an idea or an article and it can stop me in my tracks. In this particular case, the topic of stoicism. I read the lengthy article that Richard linked to in his email to me and it really got some wheels turning in my lizard brain. Now, there is an interesting thought, do lizard brains have wheels?

So, since my last post titled Living Free, A Stoic Philosophy?, obviously posed as a question, I've spent a significant amount of time doing some research, meditating, cogitating, ruminating and just plain old thinking about this topic. The original school of thought dates back about 2,300 years. The world has changed so much since then and, no, I'm not going to include a long list of the ways it's changed. If you can't figure that one out, then you're really reading the wrong blog and, actually, you're probably on the wrong planet. Change is inevitable. Progress through various kinds of technology is the constant. So then, how does the classical stoic philosophic thought apply in the 21st Century?

The Global Community of the 21st Century

The world was a much smaller place 2,300 years ago. I don't mean it was smaller in physical size or geographic area. I simply mean there was no such thing as a global community. For example, I can sit down with my tiny smart phone, something the ancient world couldn't have even imagined, look at the brilliant full-color display and see that the bars indicating signal strength tell me I have plenty of signal to connect effectively with the Internet, again, something unheard of to the world a mere 50 years ago. I can then touch the screen and activate an application (a computer program designed to work on smart phones) called Skype. I have no idea what a skype might be, if there is such a thing, other then a name given to this computer program.

I can then look at a list of contacts I've compiled of friends, business associates and other assorted connections and select one that says "Brian Morris." Brian is my buddy in Auckland, New Zealand. We've been friends for more then two decades. When we first connected it was through an ad I placed in a magazine he was reading in New Zealand. He wrote me a letter sent by mail - a technology now referred to as "snail mail." On ever so infrequent occasions we would speak by long-distance, wired, telephone service at exorbitant rates.

We then discovered that we could take a single piece of paper, using a typewriter (another ancient technology that's nearly obsolete currently) with the smallest size type available on that typewriter and fill that page with our communication from edge to edge, side to side and top to bottom, without breaks for paragraphs. We then put that piece of paper in a machine called a facsimile machine or "fax" for short. I have a connection to the fax machine since my father was one of the inventors who made the fax technology a reality. This is another technology that is rapidly becoming obsolete. The fax machine then dialed my phone number or his, depending on which way the communication was going and transformed the information on the paper to digital information. It transmitted the digital information and then reprinted it on another piece of paper at the receiving end. This became a more cost effective means of transmitting information to one another without it taking one to two weeks for the slower snail mail service to carry the piece of mail to it's destination.

Then, the computer, which was rapidly replacing the typewriter, was connected to a second communications network that few people knew about or understood before the early 90's and we had a new technology called electronic mail or e-mail. This technology was considerably faster, extremely reliable and extremely inexpensive. It simply required a connection to the Internet, the new network. Meanwhile, concurrent with these developments, wireless telephone communications were evolving at an ever increasing pace. Telephones began to utilize digital technology, interconnected with the Internet, combined many of the day to day technologies we were becoming more and more dependent on until, viola, today we have smart phone technology that has placed more computing power in the palm of our hands than the computers that sent the first men to the moon.

Now, this is not a discourse on smart phone technology or the Internet or anything other then how technology has moved us from that very small, ancient world of 2,300 years ago when most people never saw all the borders of their small countries to the global community of today. I look at the bars on my smart phone, activate my Skype application, touch the screen where it says my friend's name with his photo on my Skype contact page and within seconds, I'm speaking with my buddy, Brian Morris, in Auckland, New Zealand. And, I do this for free, other then my monthly costs for my digital phone service and Internet connectivity, which I pay for anyway as a general utility. And, here's the best part, Brian sounds like he's sitting next to me, not nearly 10,000 miles away. And further, each of us can turn on a function that allows us to actually see each other in live, full-color video as we chat. And sometimes we'll add a third party to the conversation, perhaps in England.

This is what I mean by a global community and that's only one small aspect of it.

21st Century Stoicism vs. Classical Stoicism

So, now, let's get back to the original premise. Can we pursue a "living free" (my term) or stoic lifestyle while embracing and utilizing all of this exciting, life altering technology? I believe the answer to that question is yes. But, it has to be considered a 21st Century stoicism, based in basic principle on classical stoicism. In other words, we can still embrace the basic principles of living simply, maintaining a minimalist profile, practicing frugality and, in essence, accepting and living the concept that less is more.

Let's look at this from a realistic perspective. At this time in current societal development, it would be unrealistic to not utilize modern communication technology, modes of transportation, medical science, entertainment media, etc. Why? Because you would set yourself back decades, even centuries. Your chances of surviving to the life expectancy we currently experience would be less likely. Sure, there are still parts of the world that don't have all of the modern advantages we have in the developed world. But, the wireless network, television, medicine, transportation and so on are reaching out to those who have not, yet, been fortunate enough to embrace all that's available. And let's face it, there's an old song line that goes something like, "How ya gonna keep em down on the farm after they've seen Paree." In other words, does anyone want to return to the ways of the ancients after they've experienced modern technology?

So, here is my thinking on this. I've chosen a "living free" and nomadic lifestyle. This is my choice and my course in life from this point forward until I may decide to change it again. Does this mean that I'm going to backpack and carry everything I need on my back and walk across this continent and everywhere I want to go? No! Does it mean I am going to travel this country on a bicycle or maybe in an old Conestoga wagon pulled by oxen? No! Does it mean that I'll travel in a 40 foot luxury motor coach with four slide out rooms that will be equivalent to having a small, luxury condominium on the road? No! Does it mean I'm going to use a smaller, much more efficient, comfortable and habitable, motorized vehicle that I'll initially customize to my own needs. Yes! Any of the modes of domestic travel I just mentioned are viable. Though, on a practical level, the Conestoga wagon would be the most difficult in our modern society due to all the laws and restrictions that exist today that weren't in place two or three centuries ago. My choice is pragmatic and follows a less is more philosophy, at least in my personal,  living free, stoic interpretation.

Let's look at another example. I mentioned that I have a smart phone. I decided to choose a phone based on the Google Android operating system. Why would I make such a decision? Doesn't your smart phone indicate a lot of excess, you may ask? The answer would be yes and no.

First, I determined that using one of the other main alternatives, a plain, simple phone (which is becoming harder and harder to find) would actually cost me more (there goes the frugality), require that I acquire other devices I would need for my chosen nomadic lifestyle, (there goes my minimalism) and complicate my life by having to learn and maintain and carry all of these other items (there goes simplicity). So, in this case, the smart phone represents less is more.

The other major alternative would be the iPhone. Now, the iPhone is a very nice device, but it would cost me anywhere from $100 to $400 or more depending on which model iPhone I want/require to meet my needs. My current smart phone cost me an investment of $5.00 and with it I received a bundle of accessories that I would have had to purchase separately for an iPhone. Both phones require a two year contract with the service provider, so there is no advantage in that decision. I'm also not interested in being particularly trendy and status driven as it appears that many typical iPhone owners are. I, also, didn't have to wait in line to place an order to get an iPhone because I had to have the latest and greatest version.  And, even though my smart phone is not an iPhone, I can do virtually everything with my smart phone I could or would want an iPhone to do. In fact, my Motorola Atrix II has a 1.2 GHz dual core processor. It's actually a very powerful computer that is also a wireless phone communication device.

In other words, I got more phone for less. My smart phone requires less money to acquire and maintain. My smart phone allows me to do virtually everything I want to be able to do in my chosen living free, nomadic lifestyle with less "stuff" and devices. The bottom line is that by doing some research, making careful evaluations and then selecting the best technology for my chosen lifestyle, less is more.

More Less Is More 21st Stoicism Is Coming

This is one aspect of 21st Century Stoicism as I see it. As I continue my meditating, cogitating, ruminating and just plain thinking, I'll make my observations and discoveries known to you.

Perhaps, you have your own ideas on 21st Century stoicism and living free. I welcome your comments, thoughts and contributions. I know I can't be the only one out of seven billion human beings inhabiting this planet who is thinking about this. Let me hear from you. 

Living Free, A Stoic Philosophy?

This is an idea I had not entertained until yesterday. A regular reader/follower of this blog and a friend of several years sent me an interesting email early yesterday. Here is the email reprinted for you.

“Ed,

I subscribe to this free newsletter and the partial description of Stoicism that follows reflects a portion of your philosophy of life I feel. Should you wish to explore Stoicism to add to that philosophy is why I thought of you when reading this. I learned it is alive and well and practiced and not just an ancient Greek holdover. Here’s an excerpt (from http://www.caseyresearch.com/node/38505):

A key tenet of stoicism, as I read it, is that living a happy, contented life requires keeping both your wants and your fears to a minimum.

On this topic, Epictetus, who is particularly good at putting his thoughts clearly, had much to say…

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants."

"The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things."

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

The implications and benefits of "right sizing" one's desires are obvious for someone living in a society that constantly urges us to buy the latest and greatest in everything – comfortable golf shoes included – even if it means going into debt to do so.

That's not to say that wanting something is wrong, but rather that living your life in a constant state of desire – say, for the latest model of iPhone – sets you up for constant disappointment should your desire not be met. In addition, almost by definition it means you are pretty much permanently discontented with that which you already possess.

I trust this is of value.

Richard”

I’ve known Richard Rosen and his wife, Eve, for several years. We met before I began this blog at one of the Veteran Speakers Retreats I’ve coordinated for the past 11 years.  Richard is the brother of another friend I’ve known and enjoyed working with even longer, Art Gliner. I’ve known Art for about 30 years. Unfortunately and sadly, Art has become another victim of dementia and probably Alzheimer’s Disease. I can’t express how much of a loss it is to all of Art’s friends, professional colleagues and family for this sharp mind and great wit to no longer be among us. Richard has taken on the thankless responsibility of looking out for Art’s affairs and making sure Art is being looked after properly. I miss the Art Gliner I knew and associated with for so many years and I have nothing but respect for Richard for assuming this major responsibility.

It’s through this foundation that Richard and I have been sharing thoughts, ideas and philosophical perspectives on life, politics, the state of our society and world and other weighty topics. He and I share many philosophical ideas and I always look forward to an exchange with him. So, when his email arrived yesterday, though relatively short, I knew there were some precious gems to mine from it. I was right.

To be perfectly honest, I had never pondered this idea. And to be even more honest, I knew the word stoic and knew that Stoicism was a philosophy born in an ancient Greek civilization. I had a very basic understanding of the philosophy based on the, much simplified, dictionary definitions. I had never taken any time to delve into the actual philosophy, though. Appreciating Richard’s mind, there was no way I could dismiss this “challenge” to see how my own personal philosophy of living free related and compared to the philosophy of Stoicism. And, perhaps, even more important to me was this question, am I a stoic?

Okay, don’t think I’m going to let you off the hook that easy and tell you I am or I am not a stoic. And, accordingly, you’re not going to be able to discern or deduce whether you may be a stoic from this blog post. I’m sure you noticed there is a link in the email that Richard sent me. This link connects to a very lengthy and enlightening blog post by one, David Galland, managing director of Casey Research, the publisher of the blog. Richard piqued my curiosity and interest, so I clicked on the link and read the article titled “The New Stoics.”

So, what did I learn? I learned that, yes, in fact there are many aspects of Stoicism in my living free philosophy. In fact, as I read the article, I realized that it touched on just about all of the 12 steps in my 12 Steps of Living Free concept. There is a lengthy list of quotations from the Greek philosopher Epictetus that really caused me to take pause. Epictetus, was, in fact, of the third and last formal phase of stoicism. According to my research it is only from this third phase that there is any complete work or text still in existence. Very little remains of the first and second phase.  And, of course, like most things, there is an evolution of thought and so it is with stoicism.

It’s important to note at this point that my 12 steps for living free are, for the most part, my own invention. That’s not to say that I didn’t borrow ideas and concepts from other places. I most certainly did. In my opinion, there is nothing new under the sun, it’s pretty much all been thought and said before by someone. I simply synergised , synthesized and amalgamated thoughts and ideas I’ve seen, heard, experienced and practiced in my own life. Having no real in depth understanding of stoicism, I didn’t realize that many of my ideas and thoughts originated with stoic philosophies.

So, returning to the questions at hand. Am I a stoic? Are you a stoic? I can only speak for myself. You’ll have to make your own determination. As for me, I surely embrace many facets of stoic thought. I’m willing to concede that. However, in the very limited amount of research I’ve done since receiving Richard’s email and reading the lengthy article the link made available to me, I can only suggest at this point that the jury is still out. There is much more I need to learn and understand about both stoicism and myself. I find nothing particularly positive or negative in realizing and accepting that I may, actually, be a stoic. In fact, that may very well be one of the virtues of stoicism that I haven’t learned at this early stage of my research.

There is a book recommended in the article that’s available as a Kindle book. It’s titled, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (hard cover) A Guide to the Good Life:The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (Kindle version)., by William B. Irvine. I will be ordering the Kindle version of the book to add to my reading list. I especially like the subtitle, “The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.” That grabbed me right there. And, what do I expect to find? Truly, I expect that I probably practice a very modernized form of stoicism. As a pragmatic, non-conforming individual my focus is on leading a lifestyle as free from restrictions, limitations and irrelevant laws, rules and regulations as possible, while living in the moment and ultimately experiencing as much joy and happiness as possible during this brief stay on Earth.  I expect that much of my, “modern stoicism” is based on the early practitioners’ of this ancient philosophy, yet, fully aware of a much more complicated society with all the pressures and stresses placed on everyone in the 21^st Century.

Indeed, simplicity, less is more, frugality, minimalism, tolerance, acceptance, releasing all the things we have no control over and embracing all those things we do and seeking joy and happiness internally through nature and all that is natural dates back to the ancient beginnings of the stoic philosophy. But, these tenets are just as modern and rewarding some 2,300 years after Zenos of Citium founded the movement.

I hope you’ll join me in this adventure into a philosophy that fosters freedom, joy and happiness. As always, I’m open to your thoughts, ideas, questions and observations. Share with everyone reading the blog through the comment section below or by emailing me directly. And, again, I send a special thanks to my friend, Richard Rosen, for raising my awareness, yet, again.

Do not seek to bring things to pass in accordance with your wishes, but wish for them as they are, and you will find them. Epictetus