An Insight into Achieving Serenity and Stability

Is the path to serenity and stability to go and meditate on a temple atop a rocky mountain?

There are many stories of gurus and philosophers who went off into the mountains in search of wisdom and insight into their existential existence. Some tell stories of selling their sports cars to then escape their hectic life and seek out “balance” through silent meditation. You might call this the “Romantic Zen” approach.

Well-known neuroscientist Sam Harris has written extensively about his retreats into silent mediation to explore his mindfulness. Harris did his time atop a mountain before completing his training as a neuroscientist.

Harris has built a meditation app with in-app training on the subject, advocating a path to mindfulness.

No doubt there is merit in the meditation approach to achieving serenity and stability in one’s life.

However, the Stoics have a different view. Their view is the opposite of the Brad Pitt Hollywood version of escaping to the Tibetan mountains in search of something magical.

“Stoicism is a tool used in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom,” according to Ryan Holiday, one of the best-selling authors and authorities on the subject.

The stoic approach is not to run away to the mountains to find peace but instead find it in amongst the hustle and bustle of daily life.

The stoic’s approach is to be courageous in facing the challenges of everyday life. Being courageous but not reckless is about finding moderation. The stoics call this temperance. Temperance is doing the right thing in the right way with the right amount of application. The continuous and consistent pursuit of courageous temperance in your daily activities results in excellence.

Knowing what is right and doing the right thing requires a sense of justice. However, a sense of justice is developed over time through knowledge, learning and experience. These three legs form the stool that is wisdom.

To seek serenity and stability, you must be conscious of your choices and judgements and how they impact your life. These choices are the source of serenity and stability, not your environment. In running away from your environment, you cannot run away from yourself.

It takes courage to face yourself. Don’t be reckless, do the right thing and in time, with consistency, you will find the wisdom that is the key to unlocking your serenity and stability.

The stoic virtues are Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom. Seek to learn how to incorporate these virtues into your life, and you won’t need to run away from your life.

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