We often talk about surrender and “letting go”, and while we try often to convince ourselves that we are doing those things, our attitudes and mindset still tend to creep up from the shadows reflecting otherwise at times.
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, described his formula for human greatness as Amor Fati or “the love of fate”. This was a mental philosophy that was practiced by the Stoics. It promotes the acceptance of what is, which in itself, reduces our capacity to struggle. Like Carl Jung once said, “that which we resist, persists”. We struggle in our own lives because we refuse to accept that which is.
The stoic, Epictetus, teaches us that each individual is responsible for their own good and evil, their own fortune and misfortune, their own happiness or sadness. That there is no “victim”, that suffering is self-inflicted and can be fixed by disciplining the mind.
“Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to; rather wish that what happens happen the way it happens: for then you will be happy” -Epictetus
Amor Fati is to embody the attitude of “whatever happens, happens”. It’s the conscious practice of acceptance in our lives as each moment happens. It's a way to control your response to the things that unfold in your life, that you have no power over. Obstacles are something that will always exist, like it or not, but our attitude, our perspective, and the lens we choose to see out of, that is something that we can control. Taking on this mindset challenges us to embrace every moment, no matter how challenging and to not practice avoidance within our lives. It calls on us to put our energies and emotions only where they will have a real impact and utilize adversity or obstacles in our life as fuel.
Have you found yourself utilizing the idea of Amor Fati before now, without realizing it?