Introduction: What Is Zen Stoicism?

"It is better to be a warrior in a garden, rather than a gardener in a war."-Japanese ProverbOn this very first episode of The Zen Stoic Path, you will:Discover what Zen and Stoicism are, how they differ, and how they come together to create the hybrid philosophy of Zen Stoicism. We will also be going over how Zen Stoicism prevented me from hitting rock bottom in 2020, and how you can apply the same lessons to create unshakeable inner peace in your life!2020 was a crazy year for everybody,We all dealt with political polarity and a global pandemic that triggered chaos.Social isolation and social media didn’t help, either.We lived through it, though...but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t scary.The scariest part of 2020 for me, surprisingly, was not the pandemic, though:It was the fact that my personal life changed entirely.In 2020 alone,My dad got diagnosed with melanoma (and I lost my mom to cancer when I was a kid, so this hit home hard for me)...My grandpa passed away…A business deal that I invested heavily into, fell sideways & the money disappeared…One of my close, trusted friends & I fell out…I had minor injuries from Jiu Jitsu (which is basically my version of therapy), and it prevented me from practicing...Finally, my marriage fell apart.These experiences made me feel hopeless at the time, but because of them, I discovered an unexpected gift…Since I was pushed to the extremes of my emotional endurance, and I had nothing else to fall back on…I leaned on to what I DID have: Zen and Stoicism.Zen and Stoicism essentially formed my new, internal compass…Zen kept me fully present, meaning I actually felt my emotions and the pain of my experience, rather than blocking them out. Stoicism helped me take ownership of the problems..so I could do whatever was in my control, to move forward with a clear mind. ...So it didn’t turn out to be a rock bottom year for me after all.For YEARS, I had been helping others create unshakeable peace, even when it felt like the world around them was falling apart. So in 2020,The same methods and insights I once developed to serve my clients…Were then the exact things I relied on -- to help myself.And I survived a year of hell. It WORKED.I actually emerged more happy, peaceful, and accepting of myself than I’ve ever been.-I was able to help my dad, who decided to take his health into his own hands (and is now healthier than ever)!-I had my most successful financial year of business, with the least amount of work-related stress.-My marriage dissolved, but I passed through the heartbreak without losing my own center...and everything was managed with peace and respect.In a deeply personal sense, all of these situations illustrated how POWERFUL the combination of Zen and Stoicism can be.It won’t keep you from experiencing hardships...But it CAN permanently alter the way you respond to the storms you inevitably get caught in.For months, I’ve been preparing something new to share with the world…Prior to 2020, I wouldn’t have had the courage to share this (because I wore a mask that I thought others wanted to see).But it seems like the protective layers I once had, have largely dissolved & revealed who I really am. So now, I’m excited to share the new embodiment of the timeless wisdom that has meant so much to me, and I hope it serves you.Join me on this very first episode of, The Zen Stoic Path!