In our last few +1s, we spent some time having Breakfast with Seneca and David Fideler.
As you may recall, we started by reminding ourselves that EVERYTHING (!) is on loan from the universe and that (important fine print in our contract with life!), one day (sooner than we’d like!) it will ALL need to be returned.
Then we learned the fascinating fact that the Stoics were called “progressors”—reflecting their humility in recognizing that NONE of them were perfect but ALL OF THEM were FIERCELY COMMITTED to actually PRACTICING their philosophy and striving to MAKE PROGRESS in moving from Theory to Practice to Mastery.
Today we’re going to continue that chat then we’ll move on to some other great wisdom from this great book.
First, let’s review what we covered yesterday.
David Fideler tells us: “Progressor is a translation of the ancient Greek term for a student of Stoicism, a prokoptōn, or ‘one who makes progress.’ Since none of the Stoic philosophers claimed to be perfect sages but tried to make progress each and every day through the use of self-reflection and various exercises, all of the Stoic philosophers were progressors.”
He continued by saying: “In the end, to make progress as a human being, you must first realize that you are imperfect (or have reason to improve) and, second, have a desire to improve. It’s no coincidence that one of Seneca’s most frequently used words in his letters is ‘progress,’ or making progress toward wisdom. And as he concluded, ‘most of progress consists in the desire to make progress.’ For without that desire, progress itself is impossible.”
THEN…
He said (and this is what we’ll focus on Today!): “Strangely, one question the Stoics, as a school, never explored in depth is, ‘What causes someone to become a progressor in the first place?’ While the precise answer to this would vary from person to person, obviously some kind of ‘wake-up call,’ as we say today, is generally needed. It could be a personal crisis, a personal loss, repeated failures, or just a slowly growing realization that life is too precious to waste on the false goods that the world is constantly trying to sell us. Alternately, the wake-up call could be a persistent feeling of unhappiness or depression— because a person’s real, inner needs are not being met by his or her current beliefs or lifestyle.”
Regarding the importance of knowing we NEED to change *and* the even more important desire to WANT to change, two things come to mind.
First…
Seneca once said: “The worse a person is the less he feels it.”
(Eek!)
Second…
The need for the “wake-up call” is why we lean into the “Quick Trip to Hell” exercise in the early chapters of Areté, Basic Training in the Heroic App, and in our first Heroic Coach module.
We need to…
WAKE UP!
As we remember that…
THIS ISN’T A DRESS REHEARSAL!
Today’s +1…
I’m going to place an EMERGENCY CALL to your new batphone.
I’m dialing…
212-451-2000…
The phone is ringing…
* RING *
* RING *
* RING *
Can you hear it?
Answer the call, Hero.
It’s time to live with more URGENCY as you turn up the heat.
It’s time to make progress as you ACTIVATE YOUR HEROIC POTENTIAL.
It’s time to play your role humbly yet Heroically well—giving your gifts in service to something bigger than yourself.
All day, every day.
Especially…
TODAY.
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