Stoic Journal 6

These past couple weeks have been rough. A true test of my ability to apply the philosophy. But I'm still here. No job but still here. Applying and interviewing nearly daily. I hope this lifts soon.

Stoic Journal 5

Feeling better today. Not much else to say really. Trying to discipline myself to journal even when I have nothing much to say.

Stoic Journal 4

Today was hard. I did not do well holding to philosophy. But to be weak is to be human; all I can do is acknowledge my shortcomings and try to do better.

Stoic Journal 3

Yesterday was bad. I lost my job. I am hurting really bad right now. Now is the time I most need this philosophy and now is the time it's hardest to apply. But I am here journaling. It's a start.

Amor Fati is easy when things are going well. But it's more important now. Life is hard, mine has been punishing, but let's be clear I like who I am. I wouldn't be me if my life had not been hard.

So one foot in front of the other. I could leave life before I finish typing this. So I will keep pushing. Keep standing up even though I know I'll be kicked again.

Stoic Journal 2

Yesterday, ironically considering the nature of my post, was very trying for my temper, as a consequence of my temper. I had lost my temper during an activity the day before and as a result was banned from said activity without getting a chance to try to redeem myself. Which of course I felt was unfair. Which made me angry. I had two choices before me and thankfully my meditation yesterday bore good fruit. I did not take the path of burning bridges but rather controlled my temper and acted with humility while politely expressing my hurt that I wasn't allowed to redeem myself. It was tough. I know I will fail in the future because I am a very proud man. But yesterday at least I was master of my temper. I hope these meditations will continue to bear such fruit.

Tomorrow I will tackle my tendency to procrastinate.

Stoic Journal 1

It has been a while.

At this point if anyone read this in the past they probably do not now, but if you do welcome to the new and improved blog of myself Achija Branvin Sionnach. I am going to start journaling here daily to reflect and to learn as all the great stoic philosophers advised. So, here we go.

These past two years have been difficult for us as a nation and for myself personally. My Saturn return was not kind, but the dust is beginning to settle and much of my ability to make it through this time has been thanks to my embrace of stoic philosophy. It has been a constant light in the darkness and, though I am still impulsive, restless, and grumpy, it has helped me to gain some perspective on my situation. Good Stoics journal, and while I am easily distracted and have trouble committing to writing assignments with neither grades nor money involved I am making a commitment to here overcome that failing. As Yoda said "Do, or do not; there is no try". I could try to journal in private but that would not be as useful to me I think. So I will be baring my own inner workings here. If you enjoy that sort of thing you are weird but welcome.

I have a temper to shame the gods. I have learned many techniques over the years to control that temper and present the world with a more even keel but the fact remains that when someone gets my dander up I suck all the energy out of a room. I have had to quit things I otherwise enjoy such as League of Legends because I get far to angry while playing. The Stoics say when you are getting angry to put things into perspective, to memento mori, to amor fati and I do, but still I struggle.

I want to master my temper, not to bottle it for that is unhealthy but instead to be master of it rather than let it master me.

I'll see you tomorrow.

On Gun Control or Why Can't We Just Fucking Talk?

Dear Readers,

Ugh gun control is such an obnoxiously divisive issue with both sides being so pigheadedly obstinate! Yes there are issues with the enforcement of our current gun laws; yes there is need for stricter background checks for gun sales; yes mental health is an important issue; yes perhaps that means a mental health screening might be a good fuggin' idea as a part of the background check required to purchase guns; yes many shootings have been stopped by armed civilians and yes many have not! The vitriol and bile being spat by both sides at the other is fierce and here I am standing in the middle saying "C'mon people! There is a middle ground! There is another way! We could work together on this!". At least we could if for one gods-cursed minute people would take their heads out of their asses and talk to each other. Not Scream, talk. 

There is a principle in the brand of Druidry I practice called breaking the binary. Most issues are not black and white, right and wrong binaries. Most are at least ternaries (three points of view) or quarternaries (four points of view) and many are an entire spectrum of shades of grey plus every colour of light visible and invisible and throw in every wavelength of sound to boot!  In my experience when you are presented with any two precisely opposing views and told these are your only options you are being manipulated! So whenever you are presented with two seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints stop screaming and look for the third factor the thing that presents a balance between the two and offers an alternative, not just a midpoint.Hell in the case of gun control as with so many other things in the public eye these days, the fact that we're screaming IS the third factor. 

Yes there is an issue with gun violence in our country. Yes there is an issue with big government overreach in our country. However and most importantly there is an inability for two Americans with different viewpoints to have a civil conversation about ANYTHING. To illustrate this I propose an exercise which I try to perform tolerably often; try it sometime! Find someone with whom you disagree about a divisive issue and politely and thoughtfully rebutt an argument they make about that issue. I highly doubt the person with whom you are speaking will be able to make it two or three exchanges without at least getting heated and at worst telling you are a terribly evil person who is spawned by whatever hell they proscribe to (examples of hell: republican, democrat, liberal, conservative, christian, heathen, atheist, etc).Fuck, I practice this exercise regularly but I'll freely admit when people start attacking me personally I get hot under the collar myself (especially if I propose a moderate position and I am told or it is implied that I am being brainwashed by one or the other side). As a country and as a society we need to relearn how to dialogue; relearn how to have a real debate (not preaching to the choir or a screaming match wherein the winner screams loudest and longest past their opponents); in short we need to relearn the art of civil conflict with everything that term implies. As a devotee of a goddess of sovereignty and war I feel particularly called to address this issue. So please if I've said something here or elsewhere that bothers you tell me! But try to do so civilly. In the meantime be well!

Yours, in service to the Morrigan,
Achija Branvin Sionnach