I love this quote by Jerry Sternin “It is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking, than think your way into a new way of acting”. I am approaching the one-year mark of taking showers without the use of warm water. I think of the above quote frequently when I step into very refreshing bathing experiences. 😊
You see, for me the ritual (act) of taking cold showers has offered me many gifts, the greatest amongst them is I now have confidence to do hard things and embrace discomfort. Moreover, I have discovered that I am able to change deeply held perspectives. Beginning in late May of last year, and for the first several weeks following, the act of stepping into that shivering shower environment was an effort in sheer will power. In fact, I purposely reduced the frequency of bathing due to my extreme aversion of this type of suffering. I have since wondered if my wife and coworkers appreciated the outcome of my new commitment to doing hard things. Regardless, after a year of practice, I now look forward to my daily foray into the cold and I find it no longer feels quite so frigid. What was initially a 10-15 second adventure to wash is now a welcomed, multi-minute embrace of both the water and my stronger constitution. This relatively easy new act has changed the way I think: my perspective of what is cold has been altered; my understanding of suffering has changed; and my competence in welcoming difficult situations has surely improved. I also attained the unexpected benefits of clearer skin, lowered water bills, and the smile I wear emerging from each shower.
Seneca encouraged people to not only welcome difficult things but to induce them. I think the idea of acting your way into a new way of thinking is precisely a goal of Seneca’s practice.
Several months ago, we invited you to share some of your Stoic practices. We invite you once again to share your insights by sending us an example of how you are ‘acting your way into a new way of thinking.’ We will share a selection of responses in a future Registry Report.
You can share your examples here. With gratitude and respect,
Todd, Derrick, Kathryn