The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it.”
“I drank a fifth of vodka, did 3 lines of coke, put the gun to my head and pulled the trigger”
The gun didn’t fire.
And my friend is still alive to tell the tale.
He says God saved him that day and he vowed never to drink again.
He saw his world as it was. Malleable yet fixed. A contradiction. But sometimes, it’s in the contradictions that we find truth.
It’s Monday and I’m finishing up a day of seeing patients.
Some are concerned about COVID and others aren’t.
I fall somewhere in the in-between. I know it’s real. But I also know I’ll likely get it. So I put on my mask and go into the room.
Now, let me tell you something that may seem depressing at first.
Everything is empty.
You see, everything in the world is dependent on everything else. Every “thing” is composed of smaller things. All these smaller things make up the larger things. And there really doesn’t seem to be an end point.
Think about it like this:
Your body is composed of multiple parts: brain, hands, heart, etc. Those things are then composed of cells. Those cells are composed of atoms. Each atom is made up of particles and empty space (more empty space than full). Each atom is dependent on the other to make up the cell. Each cell dependent on the other to make up the organ. Each organ dependent on the other to make the person.
Get an electron off here or there and the atom changes, the cell changes, the organ changes, the human changes. Split one tiny atom in two and “BAM!”
You get the point.
But if all things are made up of other things. Then what makes a thing a thing?
Now you get it. There is only one thing. And we are a part of it.
So, not only is everything dependent on other things and not only is every thing composed of smaller things, but each of these things are constantly in a state of change.
It’s like the old saying, “You can never step into the same river twice.”
Nothing lasts and the only true constant is change.
You are not the same as you were yesterday and you won’t be the same tomorrow. Every moment of your life touches every other moment and becomes the collective you.
It’s these three principles of reality that makes up the buddhist concept of emptiness.
Now to say that everything is empty doesn’t actually mean there is nothing. In fact, just the opposite. It’s a contradiction, but a superb example of the reality we live in.
It might seem like a strange idea, but keep reading and let’s discuss.
Marcus Aurelius was emperor of the Roman Empire 161-180 AD.
He studied stoic philosophy and kept a journal that would later be published under the title Meditations.
I don’t think he ever intended for anyone to even read the dang thing, yet still he wrote some of the most thought provoking commentary on life you will ever read.
He had some profound things to say and considering he ruled the world at the time, it makes it all the more fascinating.
He was like a modern day Solomon (by modern, I mean 2000 years ago)
Now let’s look at his quote again:
“The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it.”
Here’s the idea. Life is change. It’s going to happen. You can’t stop it. You can’t control it. But you can roll with it. You can fix your emotions and your actions and use the momentum of change to propel you forward.
You aren’t the same as yesterday and that’s a good thing.
“Life is what you deem it” does not mean you can do whatever you want. Because to a stoic, life is meant to be lived according to nature. According to truth. According to virtue.
This is what he was trying to say (I think): How you perceive life is exactly how you will experience it.
Your opinions matter. They form your worldview. Negativity can be a weight too heavy to carry. And in turn…Too much optimism will have you walking off a cliff.
It’s in the balance that you find peace.
To stare into the emptiness and find the meaning. This is purpose. We create our world.
The more you see the world a certain way, the more it becomes that way. Your eyes will fool you and they will also tell you the truth.
Your perception is your reality.
Now think about this: Your life is one of change. You are a person that changes. Every day something new.
This means that if you’re depressed, there is a way out. Because what you are today, doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll be tomorrow.
Today you start a new journey, just like the day before and the day after.
You can’t bend fate to your will. But maybe you can do something else instead.
Maybe you can just be. Content with who you are. Where you are. Why you are.
Because all you have to do is blink…and then something new.
Like my friend that I told you about at the beginning. His life changed when that gun didn’t go off. He became a man face to face with emptiness and he embraced his change. But it didn’t end there. He got help, went to rehab, and fell in love with life again.
Maybe you can still be happy is some small (yet very significant) way.
That may turn out to be the very purpose of your life.
It is possible.
No matter how dark things seem to be.
You are one second away from change.
Be the king of your world.
Accept fate and be glad that you are exactly where you are.
Amor Fati.
Peace.
a pic of Teddy looking like a King
p.s.
p.p.s.
How to Be A Stoic King (Why Depression Can’t Stop You from Being Happy)
Written by:clp
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