Daily Stoic: Reignite Your Thoughts
“Your principles can’t be extinguished unless you snuff out the thoughts that feed them, for it’s continually in your power to reignite new ones. . . .
It’s possible to start living again! See things anew as you once did — that is how to restart life!”
— Ryan Holiday. “The Daily Stoic.”
This one is dedicated to my friend who is struggling to gather herself, who is still trying to figure out a way out and chasing the love of her life.
Today I have a short text from her, saying how broken she is to hear the news that she never expected before. Only took a sec for me to reach out to her, I heard a trembling voice, it’s not something that I heard everyday.
Before this day came, I remember how she texted me and proudly said, “I can’t wait to see you, to show you the person I am today”.
I had mixed feelings when I heard this news, I am happy and sad at the same time. I am happy because she’s now confident with herself, she’s proud of the process that she’s been through. I’m sad because she’s struggling so hard to overcome the weakness that everyone talks about, and to make sure, her behaviour will not hurt someone else again.
When I was a child, I tried to capture a butterfly in a small box with holes. I wanted to keep it as a pet. The butterfly somehow managed to squeeze its wings through the holes in the box and fly away. I learned that there is a point in trying to catch a butterfly.
Sometimes it is difficult for humans to feel free in this world. Society tries to place people into confining little boxes. We are told how we look, think and act. At times, there isn’t a lot of room to express your individuality. People who are different tend to face a lot of rejection. They are ostracized and told that they aren’t worthy of love. However, the people who are different are smart enough to embrace the essence of the butterfly. They are the ones who are the most free.
Imagine how the world would be if everyone were the same. There wouldn’t be any surprises.
We would all think the same thoughts, wear the same clothes, and have the same desires. We may understand each other more easily initially, but it wouldn’t be long before the world would be plagued with boredom. We aren’t all meant to be exactly the same.
Every individual has something unique and interesting to add to the world. The people who rocked the boat, and challenged the status quo, are the ones who changed society. We don’t like people who deviate too much from the norm. They challenge us and make us think about the world in a new way. This makes us feel uncomfortable. However, eventually everyone learns to love the person who stood out from the crowd. We simply wouldn’t be the same without them.
Don’t be afraid to let your true self shine through. Eventually most people will learn to love you. The ones who don’t simply aren’t worth your time. If you ever start to feel trapped, just remember the essence of the butterfly. No matter how many times you try to catch a butterfly, it will always find a way to break free.
But, I know my friend, you’ve tried to be a better version of yourself and I validate your process and result. I will put the words from Ryan Holiday on his book — The Daily Stoic;
“But the reminder here is that no matter what happens, no matter how disappointing our behavior has been in the past, the principles themselves remain unchanged. We can return and embrace them at any moment. What happened yesterday — what happened five minutes ago — is the past. We can reignite and restart whenever we like.
Why not do it right now?”
Dear friend, You are perfect with all your beauty and flaws and you deserve to be loved.
