Memes by Themes #24: Wisdom
“Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone—those that are now, and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the ‘what’ is in constant flux, the ‘why’ has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what’s right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us—a chasm whose depths we cannot see. So it would take an idiot to feel self-importance or distress. Or any indignation, either. As if the things that irritate us lasted.”
—Meditations, Book 5.23, Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays translation)
For the past few years but especially since July 21, 2024, whenever someone asks me how I’m doing, I almost invariably say I’m “overwhelmed.”
I feel the weight of hundreds (possibly thousands, but it would take too long to count) of unfinished articles, poems, videos, creative collaborations, and interviews sandbagging me down as I claw my way out of the quicksand of my everlasting todo list. A couple dozen articles are all trying to cram through the door at once, leading to a log jam and the unusually long stretch between posts.
I have several significant pieces I have been trying to complete for years—including one I started in 2021 that I have now collected nearly 1,500 references for and another I started a couple years ago that is my attempt to compress an encyclopedia’s worth of material into a single stratospheric article.
I also have half a dozen books I hope to compile and self-publish over the coming year or two, a podcast I’d like to start after that, and a Big Idea I had a few months ago I feel has the potential to save the world from menticide, tyranny, and democide but which will require at least a year of intensive preparation before launch.
And then there’s my new focus on depolarizing community conversations sparked by my organizing the CJ Hopkins America Road Trip events last fall. That led to my involvement in more community events and exhilarating new connections that have changed my life in completely unexpected, completely wonderful ways—all of which I hope to share with you in future articles (yet more items for the infinite todo list).
Not to mention the mountain of life responsibilities I have mostly neglected while in creative tunnel-vision mode that are now increasingly demanding my attention because you can only live in chaotic clutter for so long before entropy threatens to engulf you.
I have also been attempting—and mostly failing—to reform my deplorable sleep habits after several months of severe insomnia left me with a chronic sleep deficit.
If it sounds like I’m complaining, it’s actually the opposite. Having an abundance of inspiration, relentless enthusiasm, and all-consuming passion for my mission are causes for celebration, and I am profoundly grateful to YOU for enabling me to fulfill my cheng.
So really this is a part-apology, part–thank-you letter to the 1 percent of my readers whose gracious support makes it possible for me to pursue my life’s purpose as well as the other 99 percent who care enough to read, engage with, and share my work. You are really quite extraordinary human beings.
What does all this have to do with wisdom? As a Stoic, I am always reminding myself to focus on the variables within my control, cultivate a continual state of gratitude, savor my relationships, and strive for the work-life balance that has eluded me my entire perfectionistic, workaholic life.
I am trying to shift my perception of feeling “overwhelmed” to “overjoyed.” Each completed project assuages my guilt and anxiety for a few moments before I dive into the next one, so I just need to keep hurling off sandbags, and eventually, maybe, I’ll finally feel caught up. Or so I can hope.
Meanwhile, I’ll focus on taking Bob ‘Bob’ Shelby’s wise advice in Haiku Tunnel:
“Go back to your desk. Settle down. Focus. And catch up.”
May the following memes of wisdom help you navigate your own Stoic challenges and daily vicissitudes.
Thank you, beloved readers, for being here and being part of our karass.
