On Progress

I read an excerpt from Epictetus the other day in which he talks about progress, mostly personal progress, but it can be applied to anything really. He says progress can be compared to seeing a person who regularly goes to the gym and works out. We wouldn’t think of asking them to show us their weights, but rather, we would ask them to show us their muscles. Simply put, it doesn’t matter the size of the weights, how many books we read, or how much we practice something. What matters more is the result of it all. It doesn’t matter what size weights a person uses if he goes to the gym all the time, what matters is that they have an effect and his/her muscles grow. The same goes with reading and learning. If we read every book on self-improvement, every book on philosophy, how to carve a piece of wood, or how to play an instrument and then we don’t apply what we read or learn, it doesn’t matter in the end. Knowledge without use of the knowledge is pointless. We need to apply what we learn and actually improve, show results, and move forward.

I found the whole concept intriguing; not that I haven’t heard similar ones before, but to hear the comparison put that way, drives it home and makes it clear to see. Another avenue to look at this is with people who claim to be religious. I see many people who go to church, put in their time, and yet don’t act out or live the values of the religion they claim to be a part of. It isn’t enough to say we are something because we know it, we must then showcase it with how we live our lives. Only then can one say, “I am a Catholic” or “I am a Jew” or “I am a Stoic”. If you are what you say you are, live it, breathe it, lead by example. There are many who claim to be something that they are not. It is rare for the person to live it and show it without saying it. To be fair, I know many people who live that way, but there are many people out there who don’t. Who are you and how do you measure up?

I need to constantly check myself, re-evaluate how I am living, in order to make sure that I am living by my own personal code and if I am to say that I am a Catholic or a Stoic, then I need to ensure my whole being follows suit. Nobody is perfect, and I will never claim to be. But every day, I do try to live by certain principles, succeeding a lot but also failing my fair share, and yet every day, it gets easier to recognize where I fall behind or where I am lacking. I constantly strive to live a better life in relation to others, to be more positive, to let less things stress me out, to be in control of who I am and who I am meant to be. If only we could all make such efforts, we would truly live in a better world. But until we all can check ourselves, let things go, focus on improving ourselves, then we are stuck in the mud of humanity. Its a conglomeration, but its one I wouldn’t trade for anything. Its the mud that makes life worth living, to reflect against others how we can improve, to see how we can help others out. So maybe today, put into practice what you say you are, and maybe we can all inch closer to a better life.