Required Reading: Letter 32: On Progress
“Would you know what makes men greedy for the future? It is because no one has yet found himself.”
This one is golden! Make haste—put your life in order fast! Then enjoy the rest of your days retiring early from the hustle of working life. Seneca admonishes Lucilius that it is imperative to live his life as if “an enemy were at your back…” for it is indeed true that “the enemy is indeed pressing upon you.”
Life and all of its responsibilities—Fortune and all of its Givings are indeed the enemy pressing upon our backs and if we are wise, we would ‘therefore increase our speed and escape away and reach a safe position…’
What man, woman, and child (i.e future man or woman) does not feel such pressures of life? One could casually say ‘well, are you considering the medically psychotic as well as those born with the silver spoon?’ For the latter I am; the former is excused. But really, one could argue the contrary; for regardless of if one is seemingly “born with the silver spoon”, he or she still has the pressures of not being or having enough! A great many still feel inadequate in some shape or form; hence, we all have this perpetual pursuit of happiness that evades us all; yet, the key is to start with ENOUGH!
Find what that is, and arrange your life accordingly; then Fortune cannot find you wanting, desiring, that which she is willing to give but at what cost? The ultimate achievement in life is to find HAPPINESS; do all you can to find it; lay hold of it in this lifetime. And what leads to “the pearl of great price” is? Philosophy—the study and application of wisdom.
It is through books like these and many more by teachers of old that will serve such cure; and as I decipher this teacher, and then others in my quest to write to you dear one, my hope is that you find such Happiness as I endeavor to find it!
My desires have changed; changing daily from things written in The Greatest Ten Self Help Books In The World—I am becoming a wise man; a philosopher and truly there is nothing better than what I have found and you too are partaking with me; you are sitting right here in my home—in my thoughts daily as I read and write to you!
May you best Fortune and keep on the road to the Promise Land—a road travelled by a few—nay, as the story goes, only Joshua and Caleb got there! Which one are you? Farewell.
Word of the day:
Progress (noun): forward or onward movement toward a destination; advance; improvement (The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus 2nd Edition).
Quotations:
“This is sound practise—to refrain from associating with men of different stamp and different aims.”
“…remembering continually what a noble thing it is to round out your life before death comes, and then await in peace the remaining portion of your time…”
“O when shall you see the time when you shall know that time means nothing to you…”
“Your parents, to be sure, asked other blessings for you; but I myself pray rather that you may despise all those things which your parents wished for you in abundance.”
“I pray that you may get such control over yourself that your mind, now shaken by wandering thoughts, may at last come to rest and be steadfast…”
“He has at length passed beyond all necessities—he has won his honourable discharge and is free—who still lives after his life has been completed.”
Questions:
1) Everyday, what are you doing? Where are you spending your time? And with whom?
2) Are you working for a purpose? Are you hanging out in social gatherings whether physically or online to no aim?
3) Who are your friends? Do they also love Philosophy?
4) Do you have a FIRE date? A date when you would be Finacially Independent and Retire Early?
Activities:
1) Write down all your daily activities for 24 hours—for one week. Analyze where you are wasting time and repurpose that time for working for a purpose or towards the study of Philosophy.
2) Write down a list of your “friends”—meditate upon it and begin to disassociate with those who are not purposeful—whose life choices differ from yours; who aren’t going where you’re going.
3) Increase your Savings whether in your 401K or your IRAs; save the maximum allowed in each retirement plan. How? Find a way to make up your living expenses—work part-time, start a side business, cut back on the extras etc.—”an enemy is on your back.”
