Appreciate whatever gifts life gives you whether they look like Heaven or Hell at first glance.

A somewhat related phrase from the military is “Embrace the Suck.”

On occasion when we were getting smoked in the Army, someone would maintain their playfulness. Depending on the exercise/situation, we were supposed to yell the number (as a group) each time we completed a rep. The soldiers who maintained their sense of humor would stop counting and just yell “Zero” for every rep. What was wild to see, was the rest of the soldiers would quickly pick up on this, and start yelling “Zero” as well. You could feel the spirit of the group lift.

Occasionally life fucks you up like a Drill Sergeant who loves their job a little too much.

What are you gonna do?

I suggest you laugh and keep going… learn to love your fate.

You may not be able to show other people in the same situation your humor… at least not openly.

But when you maintain clarity and positive attitude in spite of the challenge, they will want you around. On occasion they will feel desperate to keep you, and may not even know why.

When you’re marching through unknown Hells… it’s good to have someone with you who looks fearless and keeps moving forward no matter what.

With a little humor and a little willingness to face pain, you will be a better Hell-Guide than 99% of the population.

Keep your sword sharp, Stoic.

Ben

The post What Is Amor Fati? appeared first on BenLangley.com.