Why Should You Temper The Sword of Your Mind? Episode XC: Cultivating Temperance in Times of Plenty

In this episode, we ponder the significance of cultivating temperance during times of plenty: Why is temperance crucial when we are surrounded by abundance? How does practicing self-restraint contribute to personal growth and mental well-being? What are the benefits of tempering the 'sword of our minds', and how does it contrast with indulging in excess?

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Why is it important to seek discomfort?

(00:07):
Why is it important to cultivate temperance when you have plenty?
Why is it important to temper the sword of your mind, as opposed to raking in all the gluttony?

(00:29):
Hello and welcome back to Stoke Spirituality, the podcast where I look through, analyze, and dissect various books and quotes that I've read throughout my entire life.
My name is Jagan and I'm a student of the human experience trying to spread some knowledge out to the rest of the world.
And so this episode is about the idea of seeking out a sense of discomfort and tempering the sword of your mind and your body in times of abundance and plenty so that if and when it is not there, you are ready.

(01:08):
So a lot of us spend life building walls between anything that brings a sense of discomfort or unpleasantness.
A lot of us spend a decent bit of life putting barriers up against anything that makes us feel bad, that makes us feel like something is off,

(01:33):
that makes us feel like you don't want to do it, regardless of our inner self and rationality knowing that it is good for us.
This is not an attempt to force anything or anyone to try something they do not genuinely want to do, but it's rather to push away the mist of discomfort and illustrate that one must work for the things that they really believe in,

(02:09):
regardless of the small part of your brain hoping to lie under the covers and just bask in the warmth.
Remember that success is something that can be incredibly dangerous for your overall life.

(02:36):
Success breeds softness, it breeds fear, it breeds a lack of desire to try new things, to push yourself to adapt and to become someone better.
Because why should we? If something is working, if we're good at something and it has the ability to work for us temporarily, why switch it?

(03:02):
And what becomes or what manifests as a result of this is a fear of losing our comforts.
By sticking to a part of us that is of lower potential, that could do more but chooses not to because we're able to live or survive with said qualities, we lose track of our potential, we grow softer in terms of our discipline,

(03:35):
and you miss out on the whole point of life which is constant self-improvement and advancement of our overall goal.
Because who would choose negativity, who would choose failure, who would choose feeling bad when the ease of success, the ease of comfort and the lack of discipline is there?

(03:57):
And that's what you should do. Because by seeking out discomfort, you toughen yourself up, especially if you start in a controlled environment.
For example, take a habit or something like a cold plunge, which is dipping yourself into frigid ice water for three, four minutes at a time to increase our immunity, to gain other numerous health benefits,

(04:33):
and to push ourselves beyond the place of comfort that we are, we seek out discomfort and temper our mind.
Remember, by doing things that may make you feel initially uncomfortable but know what you know is good for you,

(04:54):
by exposing yourself to this idea of a unique situation, a unique scenario, somewhere you're not the most used to, and by forcing yourself to change and adapt to your situation,
you adapt your own mind, you harden your body, you prepare your body to listen to your mind, and you raise up your soul.

(05:24):
Because if you're able to temper yourself and seek out discomfort voluntarily, when it does manifest or when it does come involuntarily, you are ready for it.
You are ready for discomfort because you've practiced it for so long, for extended periods of time, and with various sets of habits,

(05:49):
that you are not afraid to fail, you are not afraid to make a mistake, you are not afraid to do something that would have made you frightened before,
and instead, you are ready to take the next positive step toward your betterment.
One of Marcus' released quotes in Meditations talks a lot about the idea of being snuggled up under your bed, under the covers,

(06:21):
and feeling the comfy nature, and then asking yourself, this is what I was made to do, this is what I was made to serve for,
was this my purpose to stay all warm under the covers instead of doing what my nature requires of me,
instead of taking the right action to build up myself, discipline myself, temper myself, and become someone one percent better than the person yesterday?

(06:47):
Was I made to snuggle under the covers and stay there and feel all nice and warm, or was I meant for the cold frigid run I was supposed to take in the morning,
the cold shower I was supposed to take after, and the long hard working days that I must do to build up myself toward becoming someone stronger than I was yesterday,

(07:11):
smarter than I was yesterday, and more ready for the discomfort than what life has to offer?
Because whether or not you like it or not, life has a lot in store for you, both positive and negative.
And if you choose to ignore the negative and not craft scenarios for yourself to be ready for the negative,

(07:32):
when it does show up, when the person, someone who caused the emotional pain shows up, a situation that you're not expecting shows up,
you will not be ready for it. As much as you would be if you seek out discomfort, push yourself to a limit you thought not possible,

(07:53):
adapt to different scenarios, and become someone better for the next day. For the conquests you go upon on your own route will be the most defining one,
and it will cause you to come across roadblocks that will stir up discomfort. And if you are used to someone who just looks for success,

(08:25):
who fears discomfort and does not want to adapt or change, you will fold in the eyes, in the light of discomfort.
So by cultivating it yourself and by seeking it out, you harden your mind, you strengthen your body, and you uplift your soul.

(08:50):
Thank you so much for listening to this episode on the idea of seeking discomfort. If you'd like to hear more content,
be sure to drop me a follow at Stoic Spirituality on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Thank you so much for listening and see you guys next time.