I think one of the most fascinating and uplifting aspects of Stoicism is the assertion that happiness is not dependent upon our circumstances.

This notion is so far from what we’re taught by our society to almost sound farscical.  Every time we turn on the T.V., radio, internet, etc we are bombarded by advertisements detailing just how much we need product ‘x’ in order to be happy.  There’s apparently a huge hole in my life that only cialis can fill, or what it the fantastic shamwow cloth?  Regardless, we’re conditioned to believe that happiness and peace of mind are products of having just the right configuration of external circumstances, and then doing all we can to maintain the latter so as to go on being happy.

What has this done to us as a society and as individuals?  Plainly put, we’re a bunch of sissies and crybabies!  We go around blaming everyone and eveything for our lack of happiness.  We go to great lengths, oftentimes immoral ones, to gain the ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ that we just know holds the key to our happiness.  All the while we are moving farther and farther away from true happiness.

Happiness is nothing more and nothing less than fulling understanding what we can control and what we can’t.  it’s really quite that simple.  In intimately knowing the difference between what we can and can’t change, we find rest and peace.  No longer do we force ourselves to look for the latest thing to bring us peace; we know that peace is already there.  It’s already there in our minds and always has been.

It’s a beautiful thing to know that the collapse of the economy, the election of the wrong candidate, or the development of cancer in our bodies can not take away our peace of mind or permenantly steal  our happiness.  It provides a freedom that knows no bounds and that opens up potentialities hitherto unrecognized.  Not only are we permenantly happy, but we’re also free to bring joy and happiness to others.  We can bring a ray of light into an increasingly dark world.  that gift of light can mean the difference between peace and war.

yes, we can be happy regardless.  It’s up to us.

Brett