The Daily Stoic - Are You Tired Trying To Fill That Void?

Episode Date: March 21, 2019

All of us are trying to find something. Trying to find meaning, love, contentment. Because we feel like something is missing. That’s why we keep ourselves so busy, why we kill ourselves with work, why we can’t be still.This drive is what allows us to accomplish things. So it’s not all bad. The problem is that when we do accomplish things, we often don’t feel that much better. We look back at the road we just traveled, we look down at the mountain we just scaled, and we think to ourselves: this is it? We never seem to fill the void.As Marcus Aurelius wrote: “You've wandered all over and finally realized that you never found what you were after: how to live. Not in syllogisms, not in money, or fame, or self-indulgence. Nowhere.” Isn’t that exactly right?What we have to realize is that more is not the answer to our problems: more sex, more money, more power and renown. These will never satisfy the place inside us that never feels full. Nor will magical thinking, or plant medicines in the jungles of Peru. No, you don’t fill the void by fleeing from it or by compensating with externals. According to the Stoics, we satisfy it simply by living our life as nature demands. By being good, by being true to ourselves, by focusing, by not wasting a second wishing anything was otherwise or caring what other people think of us. We just live, as well as we can. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke podcast early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today. Welcome to the Daily Stoke. For each day, we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good life. insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailystowach.com. Are you tired trying to fill that void? All of us are trying to find something, trying to find meaning, love, contentment, because we feel that something is missing. That's why we're so busy, why we kill ourselves with work, why we can't be still.

This drive is what allows us to accomplish things, so it's not all bad. The problem is that when we do accomplish things, we don't feel that much better, never seems to fill the void. As Marcus Aurelius wrote, you've wandered all over and finally realized that you've never found what you were after, how to live, not in syllogisms, not in money, or fame, or self-indulgence. No where. Ain't that exactly right? What we have to realize is that the answer to our problems is not more. Sex, money, power, renown, these will not satisfy us. Nor will magical thinking or plant medicines in the jungles of Peru.

No, you don't feel devoid by fleeing or by externals. According to the Stoics, we satisfy it simply by living our life as nature demands. That means by being good, by being true to ourselves, by focusing, by not wasting a second wishing anything was otherwise or caring what other people think of us. We just live as well as we can. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. And if you don't get the Daily Stoke email, go to dailystoke.com slash email. Hey, prime members, you can listen to the daily stoke early and add free on Amazon

music. Download the Amazon music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondering Plus in Apple podcasts. on Amazon Music, download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondering Plus in Apple podcasts.