Welcome to this stoic meditation.
This meditation allows us to focus on understanding our true value.
It is performed by Stephanie Poppins the female stoic.
Take a deep breath in through your nose then let it out on a long sigh.
That's it.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.
Today's meditation is all about how highly you value yourself.
How you perceive your worth.
Worth is defined by the principles a person chooses to live by and their ability to remain steadfast to those principles regardless of what's happening around them.
As Stoics we understand a compliment today can quite easily turn into criticism tomorrow.
Simply because other people change their perspective or change their investment in us.
If we let our self-worth rise and fall with every emotional change we become a drifting boat that loses direction every time their breeze shifts direction.
The external forces that are other people's opinions and beliefs about us are something we cannot change.
It is tempting to be drawn into the habit of measuring ourselves through social feedback.
Seeking validation in order to feel good and then adjusting our actions to please others.
Even if this conflicts with what we believe is right.
But as Stoics we understand it is our job to protect our principles,
Our virtues above all else in order to maintain our inner peace.
If we are clear about which principles guide us we will keep going no matter who is applauding.
The four principles of Stoicism help us stay consistent.
When we acknowledge our principles of wisdom,
Justice,
Courage and temperance we are acknowledging the internal standards we have set for ourselves.
And when we consider these standards we are able to make quick clear decisions.
Because we do not need to consult every opinion to know what we should do.
True principles are the things we do even when they offer no immediate benefit.
Valuing other people's reactions may make us happy in the short term but not if we allow them to be our sole measure of worth.
Just because we are applauded it doesn't mean we are right.
Just because we are criticized it doesn't mean we are wrong.
To understand our true worth we must ask ourselves whether we in accordance with the principles that we chose.
If we are used to measuring our worth through other people's reactions we are seeking immediate praise.
But measuring our worth by our principles means we are seeking lasting stability and avoiding the chaos that is caused by placing too much emphasis on external forces.
When faced with a dilemma it is important to listen,
Analyze and then make our decision of which action to take based on our principles not on the pressure to please the crowd.
It is easy to confuse perceived worth with real worth.
Perceived worth is what others think of us.
This can change quickly depending on their perspective,
On their mood and the information they have available to them.
As Stoics we understand our real worth is our courage and character.
Formed from consistent choices and staying true to our principles regardless of the situation.
A strong bridge is not judged by how highly people speak of it but by its ability to withstand the traffic that runs over it year after year after year.
When we consider our worth we must question whether we want to be remembered because somebody once complimented us for something or in fact because we lived our life without betraying what we believed in.
When we are guided by those principles we set for ourself,
Our own inner value system we are led by a compass that will never betray us.
It is easier for us to avoid the noise and stay true to our path when we have strong principles.
At times it is easy to betray our principle system.
We may have worked hard at something and expect to be recognized.
We may go through hardship and believe that someone else must help us.
We may believe the world owes us happiness and if we don't get these things we feel betrayed.
But the truth is life never signed a contract with us for anything.
The world in fact operates on a much harsher principle.
Either we create enough value to earn the result or we keep working until we do.
Understanding our worth means we cultivate the ability to create what we want.
We shift from the position of victim to that of creator.
We understand we will receive all results as a natural part of the process not as a reward or a punishment.
And if we fail instead of losing faith in life's fairness we strengthen our ability to face the challenge the next time around.
Everything we are seeking for as Stoics we understand will come when we build enough value,
We prove enough ability and develop enough strength to keep that thing.
Every day to redefine our self-worth we must choose action.
We have the choice to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be.
Every day to build our sense of self-worth we understand is an opportunity to add another brick to the foundation.
Regardless of whether anyone has acknowledged that or not.
Small actions repeated consistently produce results far greater and short bursts followed by stopping.
When there are delays in results we understand there is always going to be a gap between planting and harvesting.
During these times we must tend the soil without needing to see growth immediately.
We do not need to compare ourself to others.
We do not need to prove we are more deserving than someone else.
For our progress is our only focus.
The only thing we can truly control is our own pace and the amount of effort we put into our actions.
We operate on discipline and routine and we use this discipline to become the fuel that keeps us going.
Therein lies our worth.
This daily practice.
This much as building every day and creating a sense of self-worth from that action.
This is the foundation of inner freedom.
And we understand there will be hiccups along the way.
But cultivating a sense of self-worth means we can control how we absorb those hiccups and how we choose to turn them into lessons that we become stronger by taking.
The first step to cultivating our self-worth is becoming aware.
Recognizing when we are being pulled away by emotions or outside influences.
When we are aware we can call upon our discipline to help us avoid reacting hastily.
Then when we feel we have some measure of control we ensure that every action we take aligns with our chosen goals and values.
If we allow external forces to dictate our sense of self-worth we are giving away something of ourself.
We are voluntarily attacking our inner peace.
And as Stoics we remember that mastering our mind is not a single event but a process.
Every day we work at the reinforcement of our inner citadel.
We lay brick by brick and we regularly inspect for weak points.
Then when we notice we have slackened off or we have let instinct or emotion take control of our actions we pull ourself back and reinforce another layer of our wall.
We are aiming to protect our inner world by the reinforcement of our citadel.
We are aiming to protect our inner peace.
When we have a clear sense of self-worth we are calm in decision-making.
We do not let outside noise drown out our inner voice.
We understand that no one no external force should have the power to dictate our mood without our permission.
When we feel ourselves being drawn into negative emotion we question this.
Not everything that does that is loud or obvious.
Some things work silently by wearing down our confidence and stealing our peace bit by bit.
This can weaken our sense of worth over a period of time.
When we compare or place ourself in meaningless competition we are assigning value to ourselves based on that competition rather than reinforcing our sense of inner self-worth.
As Stoics we understand pouring energy into goals which are not ours.
Comparing ourselves with others attempting to prove to someone else we are better than them slowly destroys our sense of self-worth.
If we measure our self-worth by external metrics we cannot experience inner peace.
The only race we should be running is our own race.
The only comparisons we should be making are between how far we have developed from the person we were to the person we are today.
The clearer we are about our own self-worth,
Our destination,
The direction we are headed,
The less likely we are to get pulled off track.
Because in the end the only victory that really matters is the one that we have won on our own chosen path.
