I’ve recently begun reading the collected works of Seneca. Before that I was reading the books of the modern day Stoic Ryan Holiday. I’m fascinated by what I’m reading, particularly because its providing another lens in which to view my actions, both magical and mundane. I think what I find most fascinating about Stoicism is that there is a profound recognition of the need to achieve a balance within ourselves where we acknowledge our emotions and feelings, but find balance by weighing them against rational perspectives and considerations.

I don’t always agree with the Stoic perspectives. For example, I read something by Seneca where he cautioned against reading on a wide variety of topics at the same time. I definitely could not take that advice because I like to entertain a multiplicity of perspectives and actually find it to be essential to my creative approach to life. Yet if I did not consider perspectives I disagreed with, I couldn’t appreciate why I approach my life the way I do, so even in reading Seneca it caused me to chuckle, disagree, and yet appreciate the perspective gifted to me.