Alessandro D.

Living in this modern world should be easy but it is not. The more we have, the more anxious we become. There's competition on everything in life and it's all hyper evident in the age of social media. You think you're good at something, there's always somebody better, getting better results, getting more of everything you would want to have. It seems that there's always someone getting what you think it should be for you, even the most simple things. It's not easy to survive in this madness we live in, but it's never been easier even in the past. I have been bullied (too fat, too short, what does an Italian want to do with Rock'n'Roll in America, your voice is not good, your hair is horrible and way more...) but I fought depression with music. I used music as an anathema against depression.

 

The more I was getting a no from the outside, the more I was looking on the inside for the right answer. I learnt the hard way that talent doesn't make anything happen and not even luck. It's a whole big very strange combination of million factors that were not in my control. That became my focus. I realized that I could only control myself and my reaction to adversities. I could not control all the other factors, people, their own reaction, what they said, did. I simply couldn't and I surrendered to that and started an amazing journey on working on myself and what I could control. Thanks to PMA and the Stoics I learnt that I am in control of myself and my actions and reactions. Nobody else is and can't be. I'm very grateful that I found the help I needed in some amazing books that I still refer to as my bibles. John Joseph's "The PMA Effect" changed my life and gave me a solid road to find my peace of mind. Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations" really gave me the wisdom to act as close to a sage as I could, letting my logic, morals and ethics, prevail over my instinct.

 

I would add a great walk in the woods, closer contact with Mother Nature, a pet with unmeasurable love to offer and take and meditating about the beauty and simplicity of life in its core as a daily routine. This will remind you that all these alternatives we surround ourselves with are not vital, are not essential. Essential is happiness and the search for anything simple and unrelated to others that can give us happiness. It's a quest, a journey and it's not easy. Seek help but keep your mind and heart open on who you talk to. Not everybody can help you and the right person can really change everything. But be ready for the truth to its core, that person could be you. Take a deep breath, put on some of your favorite music and take a walk in nature and look at how the universe works and acts with simplicity. Good luck!