Lydia Scratch, Sweary Stoic Coach

A couple of years ago, I was in a mentally tough place. 2017 and 2018 were tumultuous years. I was anxious. Working at a job that didn’t fit who I was. I would crash at the end of the day, unable to focus enough to realise what was happening to me.

And then I read a book. And that book started me on the path to clarity and recovery.

Mark Manson’s Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. Two things really stuck out to me in this book:

Give fucks about things that are in your control, no fucks about things out of your control.
It may not be your fault that something happened, but you ARE responsible for your reaction.

Turns out those are some of the basic tenets of Stoicism.

I started to look over my life. Way too many fucks were given. I sowed those fucks over things I couldn’t control like they were plentiful and free. And I had been whinging about how my job was bringing me down. It may not have been my fault that the work environment was toxic, but it was my responsibility to do something about it, to react to it.

Reading Manson’s book led me on a path to learn more about Stoicism. And I started to thrive. I took stock of what was in my control. I quit my job. I focused more on the present.

When I started to learn about Stoicism, I felt like I was home.

I can help you find home too.