One question to find a sense of tranquility

Amy Shearn
Forge
Published in
1 min readApr 25, 2021

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🤔 Today’s Tip: Ask yourself, “Is this necessary?”

As Ryan Holiday writes in Forge, “Covid was the largest forced lifestyle experiment in history…We’ve had to make do with less.” Surely you’ve eliminated some things you don’t need or use anymore — a stressful commute; social events you never really enjoyed; hard pants.

What could you still give up? What is stressing you out, or needlessly taking mental or emotional space, or causing you some level of pain? Holiday reminds us of the great Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, who wrote: “Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’”

Well, is it?

☮️ More from Forge on feeling more peaceful:

How To Practice Mindfulness While Doing Chores
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Staying Calm is a Civic Duty
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How to Find Peace in a Pandemic
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Amy Shearn
Forge

Formerly: Editor of Creators Hub, Human Parts // Ongoingly: Novelist, Essayist, Person