No one truly has all the answers in life, but Seneca may come close. For the unfamiliar: Stoicism is a way of interpreting the world with an intentional manner of calm. Seneca was one of the philosophy's most devout followers and he wrote a number of letters advising other young philosophers on their journey towards a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.
As an introduction to his compilation of letters he takes the time to justify his dedication to philosophy:
Nothing to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company.
This can be difficult to do. But rewarding. Blocking out all external input gives your mind a chance to catch up. Think through things. Problem solve. Contemplate. Step back and properly allocate your energies.
It is so common today to constantly be fed information, routines, meal plans, entertainment — one hardly has time to come to their own conclusions or preferences before being offered a pre-packaged, ready-made solution.
If you just stop and think for a minute you can easily identify what you actually like, what's going well for you, why it's working, which actions of yours are pushing you in the right direction, which are not, who in your life is making things better, who in your life is making things more difficult — this is how you zero in on things big & small that are having a positive or negative impact on your trajectory and gives you the time to consider how to enhance or eliminate those particular elements.
Often times, one feels anxious simply because they haven't taken the time to fully process a particular interaction or set of circumstances. Intentionally setting aside time just to let your mind wander through this maze of abstract voices can make a significant improvement to your state of existence.
Here are some additional quotes to contemplate from Seneca's second letter written to Lucilius:
LETTER II
To be everywhere is to be nowhere.
A plant which is frequently moved never grows old.
Always read well-tried authors.
Each day, too, acquire something which will help you to face poverty, or death, and other ills as well.
—
You can purchase the full original work here: Letters from a Stoic
yuppie&co may receive a commission on purchases made through this link.