Hello and welcome to Navigate the day.Today is January 14th, 2003. Exciting little episode because this is 2 weeks in a row of consistently posting and journaling. So small little victory for me.Today. We're going to jump into a theme. Of cut the strings that pull your mind.We're in the month of clarity, which is part of the discipline of perception. And I'm gonna go ahead and read a little excerpt here.
Understand at last.That you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet.What thoughts now occupy my mind? Is it not fear, suspicion, desire or something like that? Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. 12/19. The journal prompt today.What jerks me around?The world is full of distractions.And it seems like more and more are added every day.
TikTok is luck would have it has pioneered a new wave of short form content and people are eating it up. There are several forces, internal and external, that act as distracting sinkholes. Temptations and pressures distract us and pull us away from the stuff that genuinely matters.Modern technologies and stigmas have brought on new strings that tug at us like a heavy-handed puppeteer. Some of these modern siren songs include engineered food products to exploit our taste buds.
Games and social apps that are addictive and unfortunately manufactured or misleading media. I think the biggest problem is we keep these tiny computers in our pockets and any given part of the day we are barraged with these notifications for emails and reminders of work even when we aren't there.We allow ourselves to have this open line of communication 24/7. No wonder we're distracted.The golden age of information and technology
overloads us with stimuli.And that just amplifies our more universal, timeless temptations. Evergreen enticements like gossip, the endless call of work.And what some may consider worse fear.All of these human conditions have become far more prevalent.Gossip now includes people halfway across the world. Fear and unrest fomented by us or them Media wars.The pandemic sparked remote work, revolution, distance distancing us
socially.While also putting us in a work mindset with no real disconnect as we got used to work in personal spaces being too intertwined. This almost hyper reality that we have created doesn't leave us with much breathing room. Fear.Fear is the impulse that tugs at my strings and jerks me around the most. I think For me, the pull of fear is strong. I'm afraid I'm undeserving and uncapable of the things I want to accomplish.
And even before that, I'm not sure what I want to accomplish out of fear that I'm choosing wrong. Unsure as to whether the voice in my head is clear. From my dreams.Or if the message is being disrupted by outside noise.I get jerked around by myself by starting and stopping new tasks, new hobbies, never following through.I find myself absorbed in these activities. And at the same time going about them in an almost unconscious manner.
I think part part of my problem.Is that I'm still holding on to resentment towards myself and I'm holding on to this burden of guilt. As I move forward in this chosen experience, I must consider my current thoughts and emotions.And recognize that they may be negative, such as fear, suspicion, and reckless desire. I have to tap into that inner power and not be controlled by my bodily passions. This inner power is often referred to in Stoicism.As the reason
or the logos.Which is the rational principle that governs the universe. And that each person possesses a spark of.Therefore, I must connect with my inner wisdom and rise above my base impulses. Simply journaling on regular basis is proving to help immensely.As it's giving me the space to create clarity within my sphere of control.It has given me better ways to express my emotions rationally instead of impulsively. I also know that I will not be able to master my emotions or the art of
living overnight.I have to be patient. I know I'm not my actions. My past actions.And I need to find more ways to remind myself of that. I still need to work on stepping back once I identify an impulse, distraction trigger, or emotion that is unproductive, and giving myself the room to breathe. And view them with a clearer perspective and more logical and reasoned approach. Rather than the oftentimes destructive initial thoughts and or feelings.I dislike that trait of
mine. I'm done letting myself feel bad about what isn't in my control.And I'm really excited to be taking steps that feel much more in alignment with who I really AM and hope that I can relax a bit more. There's no reason to add pressure to myself when the world seems to be doing a good enough job already.I'm going to end my entry here on a positive note.And as an added bonus, I have a long form affirmation that ties the main themes together beautifully.I'm also going to put it in the show notes
for future reference.So here you go. I am more than just a body controlled by passions and impulses. Deep within me lies a power that is divine and mighty.A force that can transcend the mundane and elevate me to new heights.I must not let fear, suspicion and desire rule my world.But instead tap into that inner strength. And unleash its full potential. I am not a mere puppet, but a master of my own destiny.And I will strive for, strive to reach for the
stars.And transcend the limitations of the physical world. I am capable of greatness, and it's time for me to rise up and claim it. That's going to be it for today.I feel good about getting these thoughts out.Thank you for taking the time to listen to me ramble.Stay safe and until next time. I wish you the best and know you can handle the worst.Peace and love, friend.