Stoic Reminders for Thanksgiving | Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Amor Fati
Nov 27, 2024
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Samantha Holiday, co-host of the Daily Dad podcast, shares her insights on mindfulness and gratitude, urging listeners to embrace these values not just on Thanksgiving, but year-round. Julia Baird, author of "Phosphorescence," discusses the importance of grace and forgiveness in our relationships. Together, they emphasize the transformative power of gratitude, the beauty of patience, and the role of awe in fostering empathy. They also encourage contributions to support those in need, highlighting how small acts of kindness can lead to significant impacts.
Incorporating gratitude into daily life enhances personal well-being by transforming mundane tasks into opportunities for appreciation and mindfulness.
The philosophy of Amor Fati emphasizes embracing life's challenges as essential for growth, encouraging gratitude even in adversity.
Deep dives
The Journey of Hiring Employees
Initially, there was reluctance to hire employees, as it seemed overwhelming. This led to an approach of managing tasks independently and utilizing freelancers instead. As the business began to thrive, the importance of ensuring that employees had proper benefits became evident. Utilizing services like JustWorks allowed for efficient management of payroll, HR, and compliance, ultimately supporting small business growth.
The Tradition of Thanksgiving Pardon
A captivating story about Abraham Lincoln highlights the beginnings of the Thanksgiving turkey pardon tradition. Lincoln's son, Tad, formed a bond with a turkey meant for dinner, prompting Tad to plead for its life directly to his father. Lincoln, prioritizing his son’s request over political matters, granted a pardon to the turkey, unknowingly establishing a lasting cultural practice. This moment exemplifies how genuine parental love and kindness can create significant familial traditions.
Practicing Gratitude
Incorporating gratitude into daily life is essential for personal well-being. A discussion highlighted techniques for being mindful of the present moment to foster gratitude, such as narrating simple actions to create awareness. The act of consciously appreciating everyday experiences can transform mundane tasks into opportunities for gratitude. By reframing perspectives around challenges, one can better engage with life and foster an atmosphere of appreciation.
Embracing Amor Fati
The philosophy of Amor Fati encourages an acceptance and love for all that happens in life, particularly the challenges. This concept emphasizes gratitude even for adversities, suggesting that setbacks can serve as fuel for growth and resilience. Notable figures like Thomas Edison exemplified this mindset by embracing failures and finding opportunities in disasters. By reframing negative experiences as necessary for progress, individuals can derive strength and motivation from them.
Every year instead of contributing to the corporate indulgence of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we encourage our listeners to make a donation. Every $1 donated helps provide at least 10 meals. It only takes a little to make a big difference. We donated the first $30,000, and we’d like your help in reaching our goal of $300,000. If we hit that goal of $300,000, it would provide over 3 MILLION meals for families across the country.
Just head over to dailystoic.com/feed and together we can make a significant dent in a big problem. As Seneca reminds us, intention and attitude are central aspects in giving. Your donations show those in need that someone else cares, that someone else is by their side—just like the loved ones around your dinner table who have been by your side over the years.