"Universe, if it works for you, it works for me. Nothing is too early or too late in my life if it happens right when it’s supposed to for the rest of the world."
In December 1874 a massive windstorm hit the Sierra Nevada mountains. Most people locked their doors and hid inside their cabins.
John Muir wanted to feel the storm, so he walked out into the howling wind and found the tallest Douglas fir he could climb. It was a hundred feet tall. He climbed all the way to the top and strapped himself to the trunk. He stayed up there for hours while the tree whipped back and forth in the gale.
Muir didn't fight the motion. He rode it. He smelled the pine needles and listened to the wind, enjoying the natural chaos. He realized the storm wasn't destroying the forest. It was exercising it.
Marcus Aurelius wrote about finding harmony with the universe. He believed that whatever happens is exactly what's supposed to happen. When a storm hits your life, your first instinct is to hide. You want to complain about the weather. You want things to go back to normal. The Stoic climbs the tree. They strap in, and they accept that the chaos is part of the natural rhythm. They don't just tolerate the storm. They find a way to love it.
Errors & Corrections
- Don't hide in the cabin. We try to avoid all friction by building safe little bubbles. But the storm always comes. If you hide from it, you never learn how to ride it.
- Don't fight the wind. You can't stop the gale. If you stay rigid, you'll snap. The tree survives because it bends. You have to bend with the reality of the situation.
- Don't label the weather. We call sunny days "good" and stormy days "bad." It's just weather. The world needs the rain just as much as it needs the sun. Stop judging the events and start adapting to them.
Applications to Modern Life
Work
A massive reorganization hits your company. Your department is scrambled. People are panicking and hiding. Don't hide. Climb the tree. Figure out the new power structure. Learn the new tools. The chaos is an opportunity to prove your adaptability.
Leadership
The market crashes. Your investors are terrified. A weak leader promises the storm will end soon. A Stoic leader straps in. They tell the team that the storm is here. They show everyone how to navigate the turbulence instead of wishing for a calm day.
Athleticism & Sport
You're playing a match in terrible conditions. It's windy and freezing. The opponent is complaining. They're mentally in the cabin. You decide to love the miserable conditions. You win before the match even starts. As Scott Davis, former American pro tennis player once said, "I love the wind because my opponent hates it."
Politics
The political climate is incredibly volatile. Every day brings a new crisis. You can let the anxiety crush you. Or you can accept that history is always turbulent. Find your footing, and engage with the process without letting the noise break your peace.
Social Media
The internet thrives on outrage cycles. It's a digital windstorm. If you try to fight every bad take, you'll exhaust yourself. Strap in. Observe the chaos without letting it blow you away. You don't have to participate in the panic.
Interpersonal Relationships
Your family goes through a crisis. A medical emergency or a financial loss shakes the foundation. Don't fall apart. Be the person who stays flexible but rooted. You bend with the grief, but you don't break. You ride it out together.
Maxims
- Love the storm.
- Bend with the wind.
- The chaos is the curriculum.
In-depth Concepts
Amor Fati (Love of Fate)
This is the ultimate Stoic posture. You don't just accept the universe. You enthusiastically embrace it. The storm isn't a mistake. It's exactly what was supposed to happen.
Logos (Universal Reason)
The Stoics believed the universe is ordered by a rational force. Everything that happens is part of a larger, logical design. Muir saw the windstorm as the Logos shaping the forest.