{"id":220,"date":"2023-07-18T01:03:53","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T08:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meditationsbybilly.com\/?p=220"},"modified":"2023-07-18T01:03:53","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T08:03:53","slug":"dont-run-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meditationsbybilly.com\/the-daily-stoic\/07\/18\/dont-run-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Run Away"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
“As you move forward along the path of reason, people will stand in your way. They will never be able to keep you from doing what’s sound, so don’t let them knock out your goodwill for them. Keep a steady watch on both fronts, not only for well-based judgments and actions, but also for gentleness with those who would obstruct our path or create other difficulties. For getting angry is also a weakness, just as much as abandoning the task or surrendering under panic. For doing either is an equal desertion \u2014 the one by shrinking back and the other by estrangement from family and friend.”<\/p>MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS<\/em>, 11.9<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In today’s chapter of The Daily Stoic, we are reminded to not run away. Yes, we should keep an eye out for people who will try to knock us off our chosen path. But we shouldn’t cut those people off entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often when you make a resolution to do something in your life, and change course, the other folks in your life don’t like it. They feel threatened by it, or they feel it’s a condemnation of their continuance along the path you were just on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It doesn’t matter how carefully you phrase it, they’ll feel left behind, or that it’s somehow a de facto judgment on them<\/em> because they’re not<\/em> changing course. “It’s not about you, it’s about me and what I want to do with my life,” you might say. But it falls on deaf ears, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those people then might throw stumbling blocks in your path, or try to guilt trip you. “Come on man, just have one drink with us tonight, it’s Carl’s bachelor party! Are you too good for us?” they’ll cajole. They might put the drink right in front of you, despite what you’ve outlined about taking a new path and how important it feels to you. They’ll try to drag you back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then you might start to think, “Who are these people, trying to hold me back? Are they really good for me anymore? Maybe they’re a bad influence. Maybe I don’t need them in my life anymore.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you try to change your life in a bold way \u2014 and especially if the thing you’re changing is the thing that brought & held you together in the first place, like drinking or partying \u2014 well then you’ll be out of alignment with the rest of those folks. And then you start to wonder if you can ever re-align with them. Maybe it’s time to move on from them, you’ll think<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That might be a mistake. You were in their position only recently. You were just <\/em>there. And those relationships might have more importance than that single aspect of your life which you’re moving on from. It doesn’t mean you have to move on from the entire person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Casting off friends<\/h2>\n\n\n\n