EXPO Snippet

Photography

The JAS Art Department was thrilled to reveal the finalists and winners of the first ever JAS Photography competition this week. The competition, which ran earlier this year, encouraged entries from students, staff and parents under the schools' mission themes of 'Belong, Believe and Become'.

Heading up the competition from our Art Department, Mrs. Lucy McMurray reveals her thoughts "The quality, depth and breadth of entries into the competition was really impressive and that made it very difficult for the judges to shortlist the winners".

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Article of Interest

9 Stoic Practices That Will Help You Thrive

1. Develop an Internal Locus of Control

“Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them.” — Epictetus

Much of what happens in life is not within our control. The Stoics recognised this undeniable truth, and focused instead on what they could do.

It’s easy to get frustrated today. We’re so used to comfort that even the slightest inconvenience provokes outrage within us. If the internet takes a second longer than it should or if traffic stalls for a minute, the instinct is annoyance if not rage.

It isn’t any of these breakdowns that are making us unhappy. The unhappiness stems from the emotional response that we have chosen. The onus is on ourselves to ensure that we don’t let external events affect our internal state of mind. Once we internalise that, it becomes clear that we have the power to be happy regardless of our circumstances.

2. Guard Your Time

“We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.” — Seneca

The Stoics understood that time is our greatest asset. Unlike any of our material possessions, once lost, time can never be regained. We must therefore strive to waste as little of it as possible.

We think we have a lot of time, but we really don’t.

3. Don’t Outsource Your Happiness

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.” — Marcus Aurelius

Much of what we do stems from our primal need to be liked and accepted by others. Disapproval from our social group had serious repercussions in the past. It would have likely meant exile and eventually death in the wilderness.

That’s still true to some extent today. But how much time and effort do we spend trying to win the approval of others? What is it costing us?

We spend money we don’t have, to buy fancy things we don’t need, in order to impress someone we don’t care about. Our choice of career or lifestyle is centred around how others perceive us, rather than what is best for us. We are held hostage and pay a king’s ransom every day, with no guarantee that we will ever be free.

It is far better for us to live life on our own terms and ignore the opinions of others. Happiness should never be outsourced.

4. Stay Focused when Confronted with Distractions

“If a person doesn’t know to which port they sail, no wind is favourable.” — Seneca

Modern-day capitalism has given us an abundance of options.

Whether it’s food, travel, or entertainment, we have far more to work with than our predecessors did. Yet, this hasn’t clearly benefited us. When presented with so many options, we become paralysed by indecision.

This is known as the paradox of choice. Our brains haven’t been able to keep up with modern day advances and are overwhelmed when presented with so much information. Because it’s so difficult to make a choice, the default choice is to maintain the status quo. It’s one of the core problems we face in our daily lives. With so many options, we never really commit to a path. We either put off making a decision or pursue multiple activities all at once. The result is that we never really make headway into anything at all.

The Stoics emphasised the need for purposeful action. We must take care not to be merely reacting to our circumstances, but to live intentionally.

5. Toss Away Ego And Vanity

“Throw out your conceited opinions, for it is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.” — Epictetus

One of Epictetus’ biggest frustrations as a teacher was how his students claimed that they wanted to be taught, but secretly believed that they knew everything.

Most brilliant minds of today spend a good portion of their time reading. They understand that there is always wisdom to be gleaned, whether from the past, present, or future.

We would be wise to do the same. Always stay a student.

6. Consolidate Your Thoughts In Writing

“No man was ever wise by chance” — Seneca

Of the many things we can do daily, none are as important as looking inward. The act of self-reflection forces us to question ourselves and examine our own assumptions of the world. It’s how the answers to some of the world’s biggest questions have surfaced.

Keeping a journal remains one of the most effective ways for mindfulness. It boosts creativity, increases gratitude, and serves as therapy all at once. The benefits are numerous. Your thoughts and feelings become clearer in writing than in your mind.

Take the time to journal. It’s not difficult and the rewards are immense.

7. Stand Your Ground

“In doing nothing men learn to do evil.” — Cato

It’s undeniable that many feats have only been made possible through compromise. Yet it seems that the pendulum has swung too far today: we forgo our principles in the name of tolerance or for profit. If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for everything.

8. Imagine The Worst That Could Happen

“Nothing happens to the wise man against his expectation” — Seneca

Much has been said about the power of positive thinking in recent times. We are taught that optimism and affirmations are the key to leading a happier life. But that’s not what the Stoics believed.

What would things look like if everything went wrong tomorrow?

How would I cope with that situation?

Should this change the way I live today?

These were some of the questions the stoics asked themselves. We should be brutally honest with ourselves and never be afraid to confront reality. That is the best way we can prepare for success and be ready for failure.

9. Remember That Nothing Endures

“Alexander the Great and his mule driver both died and the same thing happened to both.” — Marcus Aurelius

We all experience the world like we are at the centre of reality. That creates an illusion where our importance is inflated. We see ourselves as the protagonist in our own story. But the truth is this perception exists only in our minds. There is no need for us to conform to irrational expectations and external pressures. All that matters is we live life on our own terms. It is the only way we can truly say that we have lived a good life.

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