Mastery: Master Your Anxiety

Issue No. 3 | January 16th, 2023

Happy Monday Everyone!

Anxiety is prevalent amongst millions of Americans whether you've been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or experience it on occasion. It's a sickening feeling that brings persistent worry and clouds our judgement because we're too focused on the danger we believe we're about to experience. Inevitably, the anticipation becomes too much to bear.

How can we control this destructive feeling? By taking a look at Stoic Wisdom and applying it into our own lives. The Philosophy of Stoicism revolves around the discipline of knowing how to deal with things we cannot change and perceiving the world around us for what it truly is. Hence, mastering ones mind.

In his journal now commonly referred to as "Meditations," Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor from 161 AD to 180 AD, practiced Stoic Philosophy not only to help him guide is Empire with dignity and grace. But to quiet his mind of the stress that it took to rule it. 

In book eight, Aurelius states:

"external things are not the problem. It's your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now. If the problem is something in your own character, who's stopping you from setting your mind straight? And if it's that you're not doing something you think you should be, why not just do it?"

Meaning these obstacles in our lives are not entirely the problem. It's the way we perceive them. It's not about the situation itself, but our response to it. Once you realize our mind is the source of your anxiety, you can begin discarding those thoughts because they merely reside within our imagination rather than the physical reality that surrounds us. 

And if it is something outside of our minds, then do something about it. Don't ponder on what could happen, begin taking action on what you can do. It takes time and patience, but our negative thoughts can be thrown away just as easily as they are conjured. 

"Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions, not outside."

 —Marcus Aurelius

Discard your anxiety. And understand what obstacles you do have the power to change, because whether it's external or within us, we have the capability to master our mind and all that resides in it. 

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm now reading

The Obstacles Is The Way

by Ryan Holiday. A book explaining how we can turn life's obstacles into stepping stones for success. 

• If you'd like to see my notes pertaining to any of the books I have previously read, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Recent Article I'd Recommend

- This short article by Jari Roomer titled

The 6 Habits That 99% Of High Performers Practice Daily

is a great read if you're looking for some habits to adopt this year that'll help you with productivity and mindset.

Quote Of The Week

• "The best way to predict the future is to create it." —Abraham Lincoln