You will know, what you need to know, when you need to know, what you need to know.
A transformational journey
About seven years ago I decided to leave my home country and move to the other side of the world. This idea of living in another country for a year became a transformational journey. I thought, that I wanted to live in a particular country and realised, after many years, that I was leaving something instead of going somewhere else. Two very different motivations. One helps the other to become alive. My idea is that you sometimes don’t know what you don’t know and need to trust that the first step is enough to start something you might need. What I needed wasn’t to move to another country. I had to leave something to free me from several things: The need to possess and consume, novelty, knowing what is next, knowing my future, following a plan, having certainty, being successful at all times, not making mistakes, being liked by everyone, […]. I needed to learn who I am and what I really want by seeing that some things I took with me to the other side of the world are not beneficial to the lifestyle that I was about to form.
Letting go
I needed to let go, unaware that a new lifestyle forms. Most of the previous thinking patterns were not beneficial at all. I replaced them with what I found in Philosophy: A simple idea of living in agreement with nature. That is: to use reason, to be aware of the “passions”, the negative emotions that possess me temporarily and create a short-lived madness, preventing me from making good (enough) decisions. I also learned to cherish the meaning of known quotes: The things you own end up owning you. Less is more. When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be.
It is true. The less I have, the happier I feel. It has now transformed into: The less I want, the freer I am. An initially planned change in location in the outer world became a continuous transformation journey of my inner world. I am starting to become what I might be.
Spiritual Exercises — Philosophy as a Way of Life
I change the world by changing my perception. I change my perceptions by analysing my thoughts. I analyse my thoughts by writing. I change my thoughts by rewriting the story in my head and by introspectively writing about my thoughts and actions that day, comparing them with my values. What values? Choose your own or pick the ancient philosopher’s values that are: practical wisdom (resourcefulness, reason, discretion), moderation (temperance, self-control), justice (honesty, equality), courage (to do all that bravely, vulnerability). All of them come to life together: justice without courage is toothless. Courage without wisdom and justice is foolish bravery.
What started with an idea to live in another country became a transformational journey. I did not see that in advance. I am happy with the result.
You can’t know for sure what is waiting for you always. But you can decide to trust that:
I will know, what I need to know,
when I need to know, what I need to know.
Title and last quote credit goes to David Razowski.
I am writing to improve. My writing. My life.
Together, my friends and I are practicing Stoicism.
My writing is inspired by Pierre Hadot, Donald J. Robertson, Massimo Pigliucci, William B. Irvine, Steven Pinker, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Musonius Rufus.
