Self-love and acceptance (for a spiritual teen)

stoicism

is a pretty aesthetic way of life. in fact, stoicism just might have cracked the code to having the perfect life.

before i begin, i have to admit that i'm not very well versed in the ways of a stoic. i don't believe in the idea of following anyone's belief or learnings or teachings, but i do think it's always useful to know of others experiences too. that being said, as long as it's non-toxic, i'd be happy to let anything guide me.

but i do have a couple of reasons to not be a complete stoic.

1. i do not want a perfect life.

or rather, i already have the kind of life i'm dealt with. and i know that i can have better if i choose to do certain things the right way. i don't want to have everything handed to me on a silver platter. i doubt there'll be any entertainment in living like that. 

think of it like an multiple choice exam. even the answer is given, but it's your job to arrive at it and choose wisely. 

2. i want to stay human.

by saying something that's happening to you is 'not a big deal' (when deep down it kind of is), you are invalidating yourself. do not build your own path to being miserable. and allow yourself to get some validation once in a while. you don't always have to validate/invalidate others. because it's probably hard to know what they are going through, make sure to never hurt anyone.

a good give and take balance is most healthy.

3. i do not wish to abandon those in need.

trust me, been there and done that. as of feb 2022, there is nothing i regret more than isolating myself from friends and family. this is an extremely toxic way to live, because at some point in life, we'd all want someone to help us out. and it definitely wouldn't hurt to help someone once in a while.

but while i'd personally not choose stoicism as a way of life, i must admit that there are certain aspects of it that are pretty useful. for example, the ideas on discipline are pretty on point if your goals require that kind of hard work.

while someone says 'be kind with others, strict with yourself,' there's someone else who'd say 'tell yourself what you'd tell someone else when in a hard time.' it's up to you to decide which to listen to with some amount of common sense. of course, your current and desired realities have to be taken into account.

so in short, my inference is that we always have a choice. it's good to get some experience when you can and shape your own beliefs. and if stoicism is the path you've chosen, then i hope you find happiness and abundance through it.