u/DJPrimary

Hello, readers. This week’s topic comes by way of Roman philosopher Seneca, who posited, “To be happy you must eliminate two things: the fear of a bad future and the memory of a bad past.”

I’m inclined to agree. Fearing a bad future is typically just anxiety in disguise or dressed up as preparation.
One can end up trapped in a “what if” spiral.

We can waste time and energy when trying to prepare for every possible disaster our minds might conjure up. Evolution wired us this way, as it’s better to over prepare than get eaten by the saber-tooth tiger. But in modern life, the results are chronic stress, decision paralysis, or self-sabotage.

Our memories of bad past events can become a rumination cycle of losses, betrayals, shame, or pain. They can often loop without resolution (often under the delusion that we’re learning lessons from our past follies or we’re “honoring” the past in this way.)

Neither of these is true. They stay as a way of beating ourselves up and fueling self-blame, bitterness, or hypervigilance.

What do you think, reader? Do you agree with the premise? Do you find that negative experiences or the continued replay of those memories can prevent your finding happiness?
Have you found ways and means of evading the spiral?

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this topic.

“Adversity introduces a man to himself.” This quote from Albert Einstein is our topic of conversation for this day, this week. We take it to mean that one learns who they really are when faced with troubles and problems. Will they rise to the challenge? Or will it run them over and leave them broken?

What do you think, reader? Do you agree with this assessment? Or do you think that Einstein had something else in mind? Or perhaps a more nuanced take?

Do you have a story you might share about what this quote means to you? Or perhaps you can share a story of a time that epitomizes this thought?

We thank you for your time and your words.

Topic for the week:

The Korean concept of In-Yun, sometimes spelled Inyeon, refers to fate or destiny, specifically regarding the invisible ties that connect two people across past lifetimes. It suggests that every human encounter is never accidental, but rather a profound result of interconnected karma.

Readers, writers, arithmeticker…have you ever experienced anything akin to Inyeon? Has some coincidence felt a little too coincidental? Have you ever felt like Providence extended a hand to manipulate the frame around you or nudge people or actions into your path?

We would love to hear about your experiences, and we hope you’ll share them here.