Animal Meditations II
Daily Meditation — 5/13/2022
The robin is a prime example of the Stoic and Eudemonic principle of doing what you are meant to do.
What you should be doing.
The next time you are awake in the spring or summer before the sun comes up, when the sky is a rich navy with tinges of azure at the horizon where the sun is coming, listen.
There (in some regions of the world) will be the tremulous song of the robin.
Despite the fact it is still pitch dark out and the sun won’t be up for at least an hour, they are in their nests singing.
As they are meant to.
Their nature compels them to add this beauty to the world and to tell one another whatever news they are singing, back and forth.
And so should you act in this way.
In your heart and mind, you feel the pulling, the calling of your nature, too.
You feel it tugging to rise from the couch for a walk, but inertia keeps you sitting.
You feel it compelling you to pick up a book, but inertia keeps you scrolling.
You feel that nature hungrily yanking at you to change your diet, and yet you opt for quick, easy, and delicious.
Just as the robin likely heeds its nature to rise long before the sun and to paint the air with its voice in the still dark hours, so you should heed your nature to do what you are supposed to be doing.
Follow for daily philosophical meditations.
These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”
