Breakpoints: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Hustle
Sharp Mind, Steel Resolve
Welcome to Breakpoints - a new series where we pause to examine different threads of life through a stoic lens. I'm trying something different here, hopefully the first of many periodic reflections where we can explore the connections between seemingly random thoughts and experiences. Think of these as mental breakpoints in our code - those moments that make us stop, think, and dig a little deeper into what's really going on.
For this first entry, let's dive into some real talk about time, self-worth, and staying focused in a world that's constantly trying to pull us in different directions.
Making Time: Lessons from an Emperor's Journal
Picture being Marcus Aurelius for a second. Here's a guy in charge of an empire that's falling apart. Wars rage everywhere, and a plague is taking his people fast. He’s lost 8 of his 13 children—let that sink in.
And what does this man do? He makes time to write.
Not just random stuff, but deep, meaningful reflections about life and how to deal with all this heavy shit coming his way.
This is the birthpalce of "Meditations"—probably the most impactful piece of stoic literature ever written. This wasn't some book deal or social media content strategy. This was just a guy journaling to himself, trying to figure shit out while everything around him was on fire.
And here's the kicker - he made time for it. No excuses about being too busy running an empire or dealing with crisis after crisis.
He just did it.
The Self-Respect Crisis
Speaking of people doing things, let's talk about what we see in the news these days. It's honestly painful watching folks do the most degrading stuff just for a few minutes of attention. You scroll through your feed and can't help but think, "What the actual hell is wrong with people?" It's like there's this epidemic of people completely throwing away their self-respect for likes and views.
But maybe we need these examples as wake-up calls. They're like these giant neon signs screaming at us about the importance of self-respect and dignity. It's not enough to just shake our heads at what we see—we need to actively build ourselves up, set those boundaries, and yeah, sometimes that means straight-up rejecting the nonsense we see around us.
Finding Focus in the Age of Distraction
It's not just about avoiding the bad stuff. We're living in this age where distractions are everywhere, hitting us from all angles. Social media, family drama, random notifications - it's like death by a thousand pings.
And when you're trying to level up your skills, whether it's coding, design, or whatever your thing is, these distractions are straight-up kryptonite to your progress.
The game has changed, especially with AI in the mix. It's not just about having hard skills anymore - though those are crucial. It's about developing those soft skills that make you stand out. That extra 1% that puts you over the top.
Everything else? That's just noise, and we've got to learn to let it flow right through us.
Personal Sovereignty
Now, if we look at all this through a stoic lens, there's something pretty interesting connecting these threads. Marcus Aurelius wasn't just writing to kill time—he was actively working on his mental game while dealing with literal empire-level problems. That same principle applies whether we're talking about maintaining self-respect in a world of cheap attention or staying focused on our goals despite endless distractions.
The stoics would probably tell us it all comes down to personal sovereignty—being the emperor of your own mind and actions. It's about making conscious choices about how we spend our time, what we value, and what we give our attention to. When Marcus wrote in his journal, when we choose dignity over temporary fame, or when we focus on meaningful work instead of mindless scrolling - we're all exercising that same muscle of personal sovereignty.
In the end, it's not about having time, avoiding distractions, or maintaining dignity - it's about actively choosing who we want to be and what we want to stand for, regardless of what's happening around us.
The circumstances change, but the principle remains the same: we always have the power to choose our response to what life throws our way.
Quote of the Day:
"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." - Marcus Aurelius
👉 If you enjoy reading this post, feel free to share it with friends!
Or feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
You can find me on X and LinkedIn.