On being the light & week 26 of 52
the "good" life
We do not have time to dwell on what could be.
I know this is a difficult time for many in the United States. Trump’s impending presidency has sparked books like On Tyranny to rise to the bestseller list again (it’s a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it) for good reason.
Many feel powerless to stop what feels like a fast-moving clown car coming toward us, but I want to assure you—and I mean this—that we have power over our own lives and actions right now. This means strengthening ourselves (mind and body) and our resolve, sparking conversations, and organizing action—because action will sustain us through challenging times.
The important thing is to remember that we do not have time to ruminate or point fingers. Analysis at this point will not bring fulfillment. We must do what we can today. Below is an excerpt from a beautiful poem by Nina Bogin. You can find her work here.
INITIATION, II by Nina Bogin ... I climbed the pink stairs, entered the house as calm and ephemeral as my own certainty: this is my house, my key, my hand with its new lines. I am as old as I will ever be.
This poem speaks of time deliciously and mysteriously. It also may seem out of left field, but “I am as old as I will ever be” is a line that settles somewhere in the recesses of my mind as a subtle but firm reminder that all we have is now. We are deluding ourselves by thinking otherwise.
So how to find the will to act?
It might begin with honest self-assessment.
I’ve been reading a lot about Stoicism lately, namely the work of William B. Irvine, who wrote A Guide to the Good Life and The Stoic Challenge. I interviewed Irvine for the Fisher Leadership Initiative, and in our talk, I asked him how he’s used Stoicism in his daily life, especially when anxious or concerned.
He recommended allowing the worst-case scenario to surface in our minds. I tried this for myself regarding the way I had to confront panic disorder in my younger years here, and it was illuminating.
Indulging fears with steadiness helps us prepare for what may not be as bad as we imagine. But even if it is, we can benefit and grow strong by realizing we can handle anything. We have to decide to do so.
Irvine also recommended doing a daily inventory at the end of the day that looks honestly at our actions (not just our thoughts or stated opinions, but actions). This focused journaling is a way to hold ourselves accountable and explore what we did right.
Even when our actions feel small, they are worthwhile. We do not have to chase good feelings but rather live a good life. And living a good life means acting, not merely reacting.
“When I speak of survival, I mean living intact, living with focus, not merely existing.” —Audre Lorde
AYTL: Take some action, no matter how small, that makes you proud.
Writing prompt: Practice the art of “negative visualization” on the page. Let any fears surface in this safe space, and for this particular exercise, once you are done, explore what arose through your genre of choice.
I appreciate your uplift today Jen, notably with Bogin's lines. My temporary stall in positivity is picking up locomotion as I remind myself of Viktor Frankl's conclusion from his experiences at Auschwitz and Dachau: “We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life but what we have paramount control over is how we respond to those events.”
Negative visualization is a good exercise. I've don't what's my worse fear and wrote about it. I think the key is to keep it mainly personal and later it may be possible to develop a wider subtext.