Finding Stillness in a Restless World — Letters from a Stoic

Stop moving around. Letter 69 is short and pointed. Seneca discourages Lucilius from his habit of changing locations frequently. Two reasons. First: frequent flitting signals an unsteady spirit.

The spirit cannot grow into unity unless the body has also stopped its restless wandering. Second: remedies only work if they're not interrupted. You can't heal from an old addiction while constantly passing through the places, and the people, that trigger it. Someone trying to escape an old love must avoid every reminder of the person once held dear. Someone trying to shed the cravings of a former life must turn both eyes and ears away from the objects they've abandoned.

The emotions come back quickly. Every turn presents something worth noticing and wanting. Avarice promises money; luxury promises pleasure; ambition promises applause. Vices reward you for returning. The philosophical life, by contrast, must be lived without being paid.

Settle somewhere. Give your healing time to hold.