Progress

Yesterday I went through my bookshelves and removed at least 300 books most of which I have never read. I bought a book. I put the book on my shelf. I read the book. I used what I have read to give the impression I know something. I incorporated the author's knowledge into the way I live my life.

Unfortunately, I have usually stopped at the buying and putting on my shelf. On some level, I had to pick out the book and develop an idea around what it would offer me or, sometimes, how it would complete a collection of books around a particular topic.

Epictetus asks an athlete to show his progress and the athlete shows Epictetus his weights rather than his shoulders. In the same way, I was presenting my books as evidence of my progress rather than showing my actions. Don't show me the row of philosophy books on your shelves, show me how you live your life. If I could roll back time, I would have a single shelf with a few books I have read a dozen times rather than a thousand books most of which I have never read. Show me your muscles not your weights. Show me your life, not your books.

Progress is often made visible by what we don't do as much as by what we do. Every day is an opportunity to guide your actions towards freedom. We can be free of the desire to be special and come to the realization that being good is enough. Be strong.