Almost everybody complains that life is too busy, stressful, meaningless, unsatisfactory etc… The mental chatter in our heads affects how we think, feel and act and this chatter is usually negative. We ruminate on the past, worry about the future or lament the present.

All of us search for those moments when we feel extremely peaceful and calm. This usually happens when we are at vacation, or just doing nothing. The reason we feel calm when we are at vacation is that there is nothing to immediately worry about and the mental chatter, occupies a pleasant space.

The natural question is, why cant I access these calm states on a daily basis? - On those days when my work is stressful; on those days when I have had arguments with my loved ones; and even on those days when my body aches with pain and sickness.

A daily pact

I like to give myself constant reminders which help me in moving towards calmness even on those days. I do that by reading, some piece of “philosophy” that I resonate with, on a daily basis. It is usually a couple of pages and takes few minutes to go through.

I have a ritual of reading this as soon as I wake up. This acts an anchor from which the day can start. This is a “Daily pact” - a prompt/commitment for the reader to put this into practice that day.

Because, From the school of Stoicism , Marcus Aurelius says:

“Doctors keep their scalpels and other instruments handy, for emergencies. Keep your philosophy ready too”

‐ Marcus Aurelius

My Daily reminders

My daily reminders come from the world of Buddhism, and Stoicism. Below are some of the things that are present in my “daily pact”:

Lists of Buddhism(Buddha was the original listicle writer)

• The four noble truths

  1. Dukkha – suffering, unsatisfactoriness, being discontent, stress is innate in every existence
  2. The cause or origin of dukkha is craving or clinging
  3. Dukkha ceases with the relinquishment of that craving
  4. The path leading to the cessation of dukkha is the Noble Eightfold Path

• The Eight fold path

  1. Wise or Right Intention/Resolve
  2. Wise or Right View/Understanding
  3. Wise or Right Speech
  4. Wise or Right Action
  5. Wise or Right Livelihood (Right livelihood is much more than simply avoiding wrong occupation)
  6. Wise or Right Effort
     • Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen
     • Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought continue, which has already arisen
     • To make a wholesome-skillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen
     • To make a wholesome-skillful thought continue, which has already arisen
  7. Wise or Right Mindfulness
  8. Wise or Right Concentration

• Five Daily Recollections

  1. I am sure to become old; I cannot avoid aging.
  2. I am sure to become ill or be injured; I cannot avoid illness or injury.
  3. I am sure to die; I cannot avoid death.
  4. All that is mine, dear and delightful, will change and vanish.
  5. I am the owner of my actions; I am born of my actions; I am related to my actions; I am supported by my actions; Any thoughts, words or deeds I do, good or evil, those I will inherit

Principles of Stoicism

• Core Stoicism philosophy

  You do not have control over anything except your own reasoned choice on how to respond to external events. Events themselves are objective. It is not the events that are stressful, but our interpretation of them.

• Amor Fati

  Practice loving everything that happens to you, not just accepting it. Treat every moment, no matter how difficult it is, as something to be embraced, not avoided.

• Greatest ever Marcus Aurelius quote

  “Objective judgment, now, at this very momemt.

  Unselfish action, now, at this very moment.

  Willing acceptance, now, at this very moment.

  of all external events. That’s all you need.”

  ‐ Marcus Aurelius

In closing

Philosophy can not only help us during times of stress, but also, help us live more meaningful lives. We just need a framework of philosophy that works for us - Maybe “A Daily Pact” is that framework.

To win true freedom you must be a slave to philosophy.

‐ Epicurus