| Yes, Marcus Aurelius said you should not have to need to retreat, to get away from it all. Yes, he said we're supposed to find something we love and wear ourselves down doing it. Yet he also seemed to know that this was unhealthy, because in another spot in Meditations he says that in life you can't be all about business. He knew that we needed balance in our lives, outlets for our stress and passions, whether they were sports or hunting or journaling or taking walks outdoors. Even meditation or reflection was a way to do that—a way to "reach utter stillness." And as the actor Alexander Ludwig (Vikings, The Hunger Games, Lone Survivor, etc.) talked about recently on the Daily Stoic podcast, sometimes the only way to not be all about business is to get away from it. Throughout the episode, Ludwig talked about how Stoicism has helped him get and stay sober. In addition to Stoicism, rehab, and the program, one of the best choices he made he said was leaving Los Angeles and moving to Austin, TX. Austin is just so amazing for me. I do have a great group of friends in Los Angeles, and there's a lot of great stuff about LA. But for me, I just didn't want to be reminded every single day about my business. There's this constant feeling, totally perpetuated by insecurities, of just, I have to one up others, I have to act better than others, I have to be better than others. And that's not the father I want to be, that's not the husband I want to be, that's not the man I want to be…And once my wife and I got to Austin, it was just like, we're home. Notice how Ludwig kept saying "for me." Maybe for someone born and raised in Austin, moving to LA is the perfect thing. For some, living in Hollywood or some other industry town is the dream. For some, being surrounded by the competition is great fuel. It's all relative. Ideally, we could be home anywhere (and some times in some seasons of our lives, we have to be). But finding the place where you're the best version of yourself? Which brings out stillness rather than frenzy, virtue rather than vice? That's an important decision.  P.S. Be sure to check out Ryan's full interview with Alexander Ludwig, where they also explore the power of surrendering to the moment and the mindset Ludwig has maintained while navigating his career. You can also find full video episodes of the podcast over on the Daily Stoic YouTube page, featuring great guests like clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy, singer songwriter Camila Cabello, author Scott Galloway, and more. And if you enjoy these conversations, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of Ryan's interviews or videos on Stoicism in the future! |
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