The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.
– From Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations
If you want to go through life with a strength of mind and will that is never phased, troubled or damaged, there’s three things you need…
The three virtues that will keep you anchored to who you truly are in any situation
I’ve talked about the virtue of おちついてる (‘o-chi-tsu-te-ru’) before in the face of any trials, unexpected challenges or testing situations. And the ‘Japanese art of organising or decluttering’ (or ‘Kondoing’) is not just useful on your desk, it also fits nicely into the virtues that will see you though anything in life.
If you’ve got that unwavering and rock-solid constant level of calm as well as a constant perseverance (しつついける [shi-tsu-tsu-ke-ru] in Japanese) in the face of any trials, as well as a perfectly clear, unclouded and uncluttered mind (むにな – [mu-ni-na-ru]) you are invincible. There’s nothing you can’t face. And not only that, but in that calm, unrelenting and clear state, you are guaranteed to do the right thing by you, to make a decision or act in a way that is true to who you are.